Galatasaray have turned down an offer for Victor Osimhen, amid reports of holding talks with Arsenal over the striker. The Turkish club and the Gunners could do business this summer, though for Gabriel Martinelli, with Galatasaray submitting a £38million bid for the Brazil international.
Martinelli Bid and Osimhen Talks
Standard Sport understands Martinelli is a player Arsenal would be open to selling for the right price this summer, and that stance has now been tested by Galatasaray's formal offer. As Galatasaray await a response, it is currently unclear whether Martinelli is open to making the move to Turkey.
In a surprising turn of events, the Telegraph have reported that during discussions between the two clubs for the 25-year-old and Ethan Nwaneri, Osimhen's availability was brought up amid the possible scenario of the Nigeria international moving to Arsenal. However, the report states it is unclear if that was raised by Gunners sporting director Andrea Berta or whether the striker was essentially offered to the Premier League champions.
Osimhen Transfer Unlikely
While Arsenal are said to hold a long-standing interest in Osimhen - also linked with a switch to north London rivals Tottenham - a summer switch looks unlikely. This is because, as per Sky Sports in Germany, Galatasaray have rejected a €130m (£111m) offer from Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal for Osimhen and have made clear that they have no intention of entering negotiations over the 27-year-old.
Arsenal remain keen to sign a forward before the transfer window closes next month, but manager Mikel Arteta has warned there is no guarantee it will happen. "That's the demands," Arteta said after the Gunners drew their final pre-season game of the summer against Como. "I think for the margins to improve, there are very few players in the market that are available to do that and bring that to the club. But again, we are actively looking to improve that and we're going to try."
