Arsenal have held talks with Galatasaray over a deal to sign Victor Osimhen, according to reports. The Nigeria international came close to a Premier League move two years ago when Chelsea held advanced talks to sign him from Napoli, but he instead joined Galatasaray on an initial loan before the Turkish club made the deal permanent for €75 million (£64.8m) last summer.
Osimhen's Impact at Galatasaray
Osimhen has played a major role in helping Galatasaray win consecutive league titles, with 59 goals in 74 appearances across the last two seasons. According to The Telegraph, the striker is now on Arsenal’s radar, having been mentioned during talks with Galatasaray over deals for Gabriel Martinelli and Ethan Nwaneri.
Arsenal's Attacking Targets
Arsenal had initially made Julian Alvarez their top attacking target, but Atletico Madrid continue to stand firm over the striker’s availability and are even refusing to negotiate with Barcelona, who have already had a €100m (£86.7m) bid rejected this summer.
Galatasaray have already submitted a €45m (£38.4m) bid for Martinelli, but reports in Brazil claim that the 25-year-old has told Arsenal’s hierarchy that he is not prepared to move to the Turkish league. Arsenal are also understood to have offered Ethan Nwaneri for €40m (£34.1m), and Galatasaray are now moving ahead with a deal to sign the 19-year-old, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Marseille.
Previous Interest and Future Hopes
Osimhen was offered to Arsenal in 2024, but the Gunners turned down a move as they believed a deal with Napoli would have been too expensive. In an exclusive interview with Metro last year, John Obi Mikel revealed that the striker remained keen on joining a club capable of winning the Champions League.
‘I think we want to see him in the Champions League so maybe Arsenal might be the destination. Maybe there is a door open there for Victor,’ said Obi Mikel, who was involved in Chelsea’s talks to sign Osimhen in 2024. ‘I’ve had a few conversations with him. I won’t say much about what those conversations were but he is working to make sure he ends up at a top, top European league where he can showcase his talent and compete to win the Champions League.’
