Arsenal in talks with Galatasaray over Osimhen as Martinelli and Nwaneri enter equation

Arsenal are in talks with Galatasaray over a potential move for striker Victor Osimhen, with negotiations involving two Gunners players having opened the door to a deal for the 27-year-old, according to The Telegraph.

Discussions between the two clubs over Gabriel Martinelli and Ethan Nwaneri have included conversations about Osimhen potentially moving to the Emirates Stadium this summer. Galatasaray have already bid £38.4m for winger Martinelli and have expressed an interest in 19-year-old attacking midfielder Nwaneri, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Marseille.

It remains unclear whether it was Arsenal or Galatasaray who first raised the possibility of Osimhen heading to North London, and there is no indication yet whether the Turkish club would insist on either or both players moving in the opposite direction as part of any agreement.

Osimhen joined Galatasaray permanently last summer in a €75m deal after an impressive loan spell in which he scored 32 goals. He added a further 22 in 2024/25 and signed a four-year contract with the Istanbul club, making any potential transfer a complex proposition.

The Nigeria international had reportedly slipped behind Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez in Arsenal’s list of attacking targets this summer, but The Telegraph notes that the Gunners have considered switching focus after Atletico placed a valuation of more than £100m on the Argentina striker. Arsenal have also been linked with Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr and PSG winger Bradley Barcola as they look to strengthen their attack.

Should a deal be struck, Osimhen would join a forward line that already includes Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus under manager Mikel Arteta. The 2023 African Footballer of the Year was instrumental in Napoli’s Serie A title win in 2022/23 and has a strong Champions League record, scoring seven times in 10 appearances in the competition.

Arsenal have already made four signings this summer: midfielder Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United for £75m, defender Piero Hincapie from Bayer Leverkusen for £34.5m, Club Brugge winger Christos Tzolis for £34m, and former Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier on a free transfer.