Media reports suggest that Arsenal have entered discussions with Galatasaray regarding a prospective transfer for center-forward Victor Osimhen.
The reigning Premier League titleholders are eager to bolster their frontline during the summer market and have already been connected with various high-profile names, such as Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr, Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez, and Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola.
Despite this, the Gunners have not yet secured a blockbuster addition in attack, bringing long-standing target Osimhen back into consideration—though completing such a transaction could prove highly intricate.
Arsenal Target Victor Osimhen Amid Galatasaray Links to Gunners Pair
Over recent campaigns, Osimhen has established himself as one of the continent’s most lethal goalscorers, netting 32 times while on loan at Galatasaray from Napoli in 2024/25, before contributing another 22 strikes last season following a high-profile €75m permanent switch to the Istanbul outfit.
Although the Nigerian international penned a four-year deal with the Turkish side just a year ago, a potential switch to the Emirates Stadium has emerged as a topic of discussion during negotiations involving a pair of Arsenal squad members.
As reported by The Telegraph, negotiations between Arsenal and Galatasaray concerning Gabriel Martinelli and Ethan Nwaneri have opened up conversations about Osimhen potentially heading to North London.
The publication further notes that the Turkish champions have submitted a £38.4m offer for winger Martinelli, while also declaring an interest in teenage playmaker Nwaneri, who spent the latter portion of the previous campaign on loan in Ligue 1 with Marseille.
Whether it was the English side or the Turkish club that initially brought up the idea of Osimhen moving to London remains uncertain, and it is still unknown if Galatasaray would demand that Martinelli, Nwaneri, or both be included in a player-exchange agreement.
While the London club have tracked the 27-year-old forward for some time, The Telegraph indicates that he was previously ranked behind Atletico Madrid’s Alvarez on Mikel Arteta’s shortlist for this transfer window.
Nonetheless, the report suggests that Arsenal’s hierarchy have contemplated exploring other avenues because of the Spanish outfit’s massive valuation of over £100m for the Argentine forward.
So far in the current transfer window, Arsenal have finalized four senior acquisitions: Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes for £75m, defender Piero Hincapie from Bayer Leverkusen for £34.5m to solidify his previous loan spell, Club Brugge winger Christos Tzolis in a transfer worth £34m, and ex-Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier as a free agent.
Securing Osimhen would significantly expand Mikel Arteta’s attacking depth, where the Spanish manager currently relies on Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz, and Gabriel Jesus.
The 2023 African Footballer of the Year was instrumental in Napoli’s Scudetto triumph during the 2022/23 season and boasts a stellar Champions League record, having scored seven goals in 10 appearances during last year’s tournament—which featured his match-winning strike in a 1-0 victory against Liverpool.
