Writing on his Instagram story, Osimhen said: "I just spoke by phone with coach Eric Chelle about his comments about me during his recent press conference. Unfortunately, his statements were taken out of context and exaggerated.
"He has a lot of respect for Galatasaray, watches most of our games and never intended to create any controversy. He is an excellent coach whom I respect enormously, and I kindly ask everyone to ignore the speculation on this matter. Thank you for your support."
Chelle had told reporters that Osimhen was left out of Nigeria's squad for their friendly matches because the striker "had a situation of changing clubs" and that it was preferable for him to remain with his club rather than risk playing without being fully prepared for a potential transfer. Nigeria did not qualify for the World Cup, meaning the matches in question were warm-up fixtures rather than tournament preparation.
Galatasaray paid Napoli €75 million to sign Osimhen on a permanent basis last July — the most expensive transfer in Turkish football history — and he has scored 22 goals and registered eight assists across 33 appearances this season. The club are champions of the Super Lig for the fourth consecutive year and have consistently maintained Osimhen is not for sale unless he personally requests a move.
Real Madrid, Barcelona, Arsenal, Chelsea and PSG have all been linked with the 27-year-old. Galatasaray's valuation is reported to be in excess of €150 million, and a clause prevents a return to Serie A after an agreement made with Napoli at the time of the permanent transfer.
Osimhen's post did not directly deny interest in leaving. It challenged the framing of Chelle's words. The distinction matters — and for the clubs watching his situation, it leaves the door neither open nor clearly shut.