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

**Update 18/08 — the 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. **UPDATE 17/08 — Osimhen 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. **Update 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.