A quiet conversation between two sporting directors, Arsenal and Galatasaray are now discussing a deal that touches three big names at once.
Arsenal
Full name: Arsenal Football Club Nickname: The Gunners Founded: October 1886 Stadium: Emirates Stadium Owner: Kroenke Sports and Entertainment Co-chairmen: Stan Kroenke, Josh Kroenke Manager: Mikel Arteta League: Premier League Season 2025/26: Champions Website: arsenal.com Arsenal football club is one… Read More about ARSENAL
Arsenal and Galatasaray have opened talks over Victor Osimhen ahead of the new season, as per latest transfer news. The Gunners’ Gabriel Martinelli and Ethan Nwaneri are also being tracked by the Turkish club.
Victor Osimhen Once Again on Arsenal Radar
Arsenal’s transfer plans took an unexpected turn this week. As per reported by The Telegraph, Victor Osimhen’s availability came up during the recent talks between the Gunners and Galatasaray. However, the conversation started for a different reason altogether.
The Turkish side have shown strong interest in signing Gabriel Martinelli. They have already placed a formal offer worth £38.4m on the table for the Brazilian winger. During the same talks with Arsenal’s sporting director Andrea Berta, the Turkish champions also expressed interest in young forward Ethan Nwaneri. The youngster had spent the second half of last season on loan at Marseille.
It was in the middle of these talks that Osimhen’s name surfaced. Nobody knows for certain who raised the subject first. Some believe Berta brought it up as a natural follow-on question, while others feel Galatasaray may have used Osimhen as a bargain to sweeten their move for Martinelli and Nwaneri. Either way, the idea of Osimhen moving to the Emirates has now become a serious talking point rather than mere rumour.
Arsenal in search of new striker ahead of the 2026/27 season
The north London side have followed the Nigerian striker for a long time. His name has been added on their striker shortlist for several transfer windows already. However, he has generally sat below Julian Alvarez in that same list of targets. **Atletico Madrid**have set a valuation of more than £100m for Alvarez. That price has proved difficult for Arsenal to meet so far. This financial hurdle appears to have pushed the club towards looking at other options. Now, Osimhen’s situation in Turkey suddenly looks a lot more relevant.
Osimhen, who turned 27 last December, is only one year older than Alvarez. He has built a name as one of the most lethal number nines in European football, first at Napoli and now at Galatasaray. His numbers last season back up that talk fully.
Across all competitions in 2025-26, Osimhen has scored 22 goals and provided 6 assists in 33 appearances for the Turkish giants. Meanwhile, his UCL form has been even more eye-catching, with 7 goals and an assist in 10 appearances during the competition last season. In 2024/25 campaign, he managed 37 goals in 41 games in all competitions.
Osimhen’s 2025/26 stats for Galatasaray, as per FOTMOB:
Competitions Matches Goals Assists
Super Lig 22 15 5
Turkish Cup 1 0 0
UCL 10 7 1
ArsenalArsenal
Will Osimhen be open to a move to England?
Galatasaray paid Napoli around €75m to sign Osimhen permanently last summer. That was a fee that set a new record for Turkish football. Whether the Gunners now push for a move remains unclear. His future could well depend on how the Martinelli and Nwaneri talks develop over the coming weeks.
In addition, Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur have also been linked with Osimhen recently. The Spurs are also in their search for new attacking firepower. This adds another twist to an already tough situation involving three clubs and several key transfer targets.