Arsenal Pursues Victor Osimhen: Wage Negotiations Loom
Arsenal are pushing hard for Victor Osimhen – but only on their terms.
The Premier League side want the Galatasaray striker to scale back his wage demands before they will sign off on a move to the Emirates, with the clock ticking on the summer window.
Arsenal’s striker hunt narrows on Osimhen
Mikel Arteta is determined to add a centre-forward and has turned to the Nigeria international after hitting a wall elsewhere. Arsenal failed in their efforts to prise Julian Alvarez away from Atletico Madrid, with the forward understood to favour a switch to Barcelona over a return to England.
That setback has sharpened Arsenal’s focus. According to FootMercato, the club have already held direct talks over a deal for Osimhen. The message from north London is clear: they want him, but they will not blow up their wage structure to get him.
Osimhen, 27, earns more than €20m (£17.1m) a year at Galatasaray. Arsenal are not prepared to match that figure, leaving the move hinging on how far the striker is willing to climb down from his current salary.
Galatasaray dig in after huge Saudi bid
The wage issue is only half the battle. Galatasaray president Dursun Ozbek has repeatedly insisted that Osimhen is not for sale, and the club’s recent stance backs that up.
Earlier this month, Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal tested their resolve with a €130m (£111m) offer. Galatasaray rejected it. No negotiation, no softening. Just a firm refusal that sent a message to the rest of Europe about how highly they value their No. 9.
Al-Hilal moved on and went after Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins. That attempt hit the same brick wall. Villa turned down a £45m approach, another sign of how difficult it has become to tempt established strikers away from clubs who feel financially secure and under no pressure to sell.
For Arsenal, that market reality makes the Osimhen pursuit even more delicate. They must convince both player and club without smashing their own financial framework.
Osimhen delivering while rumours swirl
All the while, Osimhen is doing exactly what top strikers do: scoring, and often.
He has started the season in Turkey in ruthless form. On Friday, he struck twice and added an assist in Galatasaray’s 4-0 win away at Erzurumspor. Before that, he scored another brace in a 2-2 draw with Corum FK.
Those numbers only strengthen Galatasaray’s hand. They have a forward in peak rhythm, central to their title defence, and under contract on elite wages. There is no sporting reason for them to cash in, and so far they have acted like a club fully aware of their leverage.
Osimhen is expected to keep leading the line for the Turkish champions while the speculation rumbles on. Arsenal wait, hopeful but firm on their conditions.
The next move belongs to the striker: hold his ground on a Galatasaray salary, or trim his demands for a shot at spearheading Arteta’s project in the Premier League.
