Manchester United have been routinely linked to Victor Osimhen over the years.
In the summer Manchester United’s search for a striker turned the club towards Benjamin Sesko, another young forward whose £66 million fee is more of a projection, than one based on current output.
The move raised some eyebrows because it followed the Rasmus Hojlund strategy from 2023 that did not work out.
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There was speculation in the summer that Ruben Amorim wanted a more ‘proven striker’, with La Gazzetta dello Sport suggesting that United could offer Joshua Zirkzee in a swap package for Victor Osimhen.
This fanciful suggestion did not come to fruition, but something equally remarkable happened, with Galatasaray paying a Turkish Super Lig record fee for the Napoli striker.
Victor Osimhen in maroon Galatasaray shirt
Photo by Alex Bierens de Haan – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images
Victor Osimhen ‘could be sold’
Victor Osimhen spent last season on loan at Galatasaray, and boosted by an injection of cash, they decided to more than double the previous record Turkish transfer fee, to sign him on a permanent deal.
Osimhen has repaid Galatasaray’s faith so far, with 9 goals in 12 games this season. These include six goals in the Champions League, with a hat-trick against Ajax.
🇹🇷 Top 5 Most Expensive Süper Lig Transfers
Rank Player Transferring Club Fee (Euros) Year
1 Victor Osimhen Galatasaray €75.0M 2025
2 Wilfried Singo Galatasaray €30.8M 2025
3 Ferdi Kadıoğlu Brighton & Hove Albion €30.0M 2024
4 Sacha Boey Bayern Munich €30.0M 2024
5 Uğurcan Çakır Galatasaray €27.5M 2025
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Osimhen is a key player for Galatasaray, yet shock comments from the club president state openly that the Nigerian striker could be sold ‘at any time’.
Dursun Aydin Ozbek told Haberturk that the striker’s resale value made him a sure bet, along with his previous loan spell at the club.
“My colleagues and I said, “Osimhen is a player we know. We know the type of player he is and his performance on the pitch.
“His age and performance make him a player who could be transferred from Galatasaray to another club at any time.
“All these factors positively influenced our decision on Osimhen, and we made this transfer.”
Osimhen scored 37 goals in 41 games in all competitions for Galatasaray last season.
⚽ Victor Osimhen: Goals & Appearances for Galatasaray
Season Competition Appearances Goals
2025/2026 Süper Lig 9 3
UEFA Champions League 3 6
All Competitions 12 9
2024/2025 Süper Lig 30 26
UEFA Europa League 7 6
Türkiye Kupası (Cup) 4 5
All Competitions 41 37
Osimhen has been regularly linked to Manchester United
Victor Osimhen has been linked to Manchester United going back to his days at Lille, before he signed with Napoli.
Fabrizio Romano reported in the summer 2025 transfer window that United backed away from Osimhen due to his expensive salary requests.
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Osimhen’s move to Galatasaray appeared to take him off the board permanently.
But after the Turkish president’s comments, it’s quite possible that the prolific striker’s spell at the club lasts just a season or two.
Osimhen is still only 26-years-old, and has been claimed to be keen on playing for Manchester United and playing in the Premier League.
United’s eyes are firmly set on Benjamin Sesko being a success, while Turkish football is enjoying a ‘boom’ right now.
Yet we have seen how quickly football can change. And if neither are sustainable, then United could be tempted to change direction in a year or two.
The openness of Galatasaray to negotiate in future and get their money back, at least keeps the door open.