Arsenal Targets Victor Osimhen in Transfer Push
Arsenal are weighing up a blockbuster move for Victor Osimhen as Mikel Arteta’s search for a new No.9 ramps up in the final weeks of the summer window – a move that would send a shudder through their Premier League title rivals.
Arteta’s need for a centre-forward has never really gone away. Gabriel Jesus has slipped further towards the exit, his status at the Emirates increasingly fragile, and the club hierarchy are clearly preparing for a new focal point in attack.
Viktor Gyökeres offered glimpses last season that he could grow into that role, hitting 21 goals in 55 appearances across all competitions during Arsenal’s title-winning campaign. The numbers were solid, the potential obvious. Yet inside the club there is a clear sense that one more ruthless finisher is needed to keep them at the top.
For weeks, the noise centred on Julián Álvarez. Arsenal have been circling the Atletico Madrid forward, hoping to tempt him to north London. But as that pursuit stalls, a new name has surged to the front of the conversation: Victor Osimhen of Galatasaray.
The Telegraph reports that Arsenal have held talks involving the Nigerian striker during discussions with Galatasaray over potential deals for Gabriel Martinelli and Ethan Nwaneri. Osimhen has already been on the radar in England for some time. Chelsea came close to landing him two years ago when he was still at Napoli, only for the deal to collapse before the finish line.
Instead, the 27-year-old switched to Galatasaray, initially on loan, before the Turkish champions made the move permanent for €75 million (£64.8m) last summer. It has proved money well spent. Osimhen has driven Galatasaray to back-to-back league titles, scoring 59 goals in 74 games and turning himself into one of Europe’s most feared penalty-box predators.
Now his name is back in the Premier League frame – and this time Arsenal are listening.
Arsenal, Galatasaray and a transfer triangle
Talks between the two clubs are not just about Osimhen. Galatasaray have already lodged a €45m (£38.4m) bid for Martinelli, who remains a key figure at the Emirates but is admired in Istanbul. That move, though, has a complication: the Brazilian is understood to be unenthusiastic about a switch to the Turkish league, which could cool any immediate progress.
Alongside Martinelli, Arsenal have also put Ethan Nwaneri on the table. The 19-year-old, fresh from an impressive loan spell at Marseille, has reportedly been offered to Galatasaray for €40m (£34.1m), with negotiations between the clubs said to be advancing.
Amid all that, Osimhen’s name has resurfaced. Two years ago, Arsenal were offered the chance to sign him but walked away, wary that Napoli’s demands would spiral too high. The fear of an inflated fee killed the move before it began.
This time the landscape is different. Galatasaray’s interest in Martinelli and Nwaneri gives Arsenal leverage, and the Turkish side’s willingness to engage could make a deal for Osimhen far more realistic than it once was.
Why Osimhen now makes more sense than Álvarez
While Arsenal explore that route, the Álvarez chase has hit a wall. Atletico Madrid have taken a hard line, batting away approaches and refusing to entertain serious talks. They have already rejected Real Madrid and turned down a €100m (£86.7m) offer from Barcelona. That stance leaves little room for Arsenal to manoeuvre.
The contrast with Galatasaray is stark. The Turkish champions want players Arsenal are actually open to negotiating over. That mutual interest changes the tone of every conversation. It opens the door to creative structures, part-exchanges, or staggered deals that simply are not available with Atletico.
For Arsenal, Osimhen brings something different. A proven record of 173 goals in 297 club games. A striker who thrives on chaos in the box, who runs channels, who bullies centre-backs and finishes with conviction. In a side already loaded with technicians and creators, that profile is exactly what many inside and outside the club believe they lack.
Crucially, Osimhen is understood to be open to a move to north London. After years of being linked with England, the timing finally feels aligned – especially as Arsenal’s sporting project, led by sporting director Andrea Berta, continues to gather momentum behind the scenes.
Two years ago, Arsenal said no to Victor Osimhen. Now, with a title to defend and rivals watching nervously, they may not get a better moment to change that answer.
