Victor Osimhen

Galatasaray's president shuts the Osimhen door: not for sale, under any circumstances

While discussing the sale of Gabriel Martinelli and Ethan Nwaneri to Galatasaray, the two clubs are said to have touched on Victor Osimhen's availability. Arsenal's interest in the Nigeria striker is long-standing, but the Turkish club insist he is not for sale, having rejected €130m from Al-Hilal. A name raised, not a negotiation.

Latest development

1. 24/08 (morning)two versions, only one carries weight.

   Foot Mercato, relayed by football-talk and Get French Football News, write that Arsenal have not broken off talks with Galatasaray and that the sticking point is the Nigerian's wages, around €20m net a year. The Athletic hold the opposite line: no active negotiation for Osimhen, the two clubs talking mainly about Gabriel Martinelli. Between the two we follow the top-tier source. The entry stays cooled, with the contradiction recorded as it stands.

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2. 18/08the file is cooled off.

   Galatasaray president Dursun Özbek has told colleagues Victor Osimhen will not be sold under any circumstances this summer (Turkish-Football, relayed by OneFootball, Vanguard and TeamTalk). The Turkish club go further: an opening bid of around €70m (£58m) would be needed simply to start talks, and Özbek is said to be even firmer on Osimhen than on Barış Alper Yılmaz. English outlets promptly described Arsenal rethinking their attacking plans.

   So we close the entry. The reasoning is simple: across three weeks of rumours Arsenal never tabled a bid, no top-tier source described anything beyond an enquiry, and the selling club has now said no in public. Two weeks from deadline, that is not a file on hold. If a bid genuinely lands, the entry reopens.

3. 17/08Osimhen speaks, and closes no doors.

   Asked about the Arsenal speculation on 16 August, after scoring twice in Galatasaray's 2-2 draw with Çorum, the Nigerian striker did not deny it: there are always rumours during transfer windows, he is focused on his job, and the future will take care of itself. It is a non-answer, which is exactly why it travelled so far.

   It changes nothing about the file itself: no Arsenal bid has been reported, Galatasaray have never said they are selling, and the Turkish club turned down €130m from Al-Hilal earlier this summer. The row stays at INTEREST.

4. 15/08 (evening)a figure appears, without anyone confirming a bid exists.

   Football Insider (Pete O'Rourke) writes that a proposal of around £60m would be accepted by Galatasaray, and mentions wages above £300,000 a week to convince the player. It is the first time a precise number has circulated on this file.

   Worth noting: nobody writes that Arsenal have tabled anything, and no top-tier source has picked the figure up. Set against the rest, it also looks very low — Galatasaray turned down €130m (£111m) from Al-Hilal earlier this summer for the same player, which makes a £60m agreement hard to sustain as things stand. The line does not move: INTEREST, ONE TO WATCH.

5. 22/08the Galatasaray president double-locks the door.

   Dursun Özbek, quoted by the Metro and picked up by TeamTalk and Football365, is said to have told his inner circle that he will not sell Osimhen this summer, "no matter the price". It is the most senior word heard on this file since it opened, and it backs up our 18 August cooling. Running the other way, TeamTalk write that Arsenal have switched their focus to the Nigerian after the Álvarez impasse — but with no bid, no reported club-to-club contact, and a seller saying no in public. The entry stays cooled.