Victor Osimhen’s future is once again dominating football headlines, with Galatasaray finding themselves at the center of a bidding war involving clubs from two continents, even as the Turkish champions insist their star striker is going nowhere this summer.
According to Turkish transfer insider Serhan Türk, Galatasaray now have two distinct €120m proposals on the table, one from a European club and another from Saudi Arabia, though the identity of the Saudi club has not been disclosed.
The development marks the latest twist in a saga that has simmered for weeks, with interest in the Nigerian forward showing no signs of cooling.
The Saudi approach lands on top of an already congested field of suitors. Atlético Madrid were previously linked with a bid of the same amount, while a separate unnamed European club was said to have made a verbal offer of €125m.
Manchester United, long-time admirers of the Super Eagles talisman, appear to have stepped away from the chase altogether.
The Manchester Evening News reported that the combination of Galatasaray’s asking price and Osimhen’s salary, significantly boosted by Turkey’s favorable tax breaks for high earners, has priced the striker beyond United’s reach, with manager Michael Carrick now expected to pursue alternative attacking options instead.
Despite the scale of interest, Osimhen has consistently been associated with a desire to remain in European football, with a move to the Premier League described as among his long-term ambitions; a factor that could complicate any Saudi approach, however lucrative.
For now, though, Galatasaray’s position appears unmoved. Club president Dursun Özbek is reported to value Osimhen at €150m and has no intention of opening transfer discussions with interested parties.
Rather than entertain offers, the Süper Lig champions are said to be working on the opposite outcome entirely: a new long-term contract running until 2029 with a significant salary package, while also planning to hand the forward the captain’s armband following the expected departure of Mauro Icardi and offer him the famous number nine shirt as a symbol of his centrality to the club’s identity.
It’s a striking show of faith from a club looking to build its next era around the 27-year-old, who has been nothing short of talismanic since arriving in Istanbul.
The scale of Galatasaray’s resistance is easy to understand given Osimhen’s output. The Nigerian international scored 22 goals and provided eight assists in 33 matches across all competitions, helping the club successfully defend their Süper Lig title, a campaign that only deepened his standing as one of the most feared strikers in European football.
Notably, this isn’t the first time Saudi money has come calling. Osimhen previously turned down a reported €160m offer from Al-Hilal before completing his move to Galatasaray, and Saudi Pro League clubs have repeatedly dangled personal terms in excess of $50m a year in an effort to lure him to the Gulf.
With Galatasaray’s €150m valuation acting as a firm deterrent and Osimhen himself said to be settled in Istanbul, the smart money remains on the striker staying put at least for now.
But with two separate €120m bids sitting on Özbek’s desk and the transfer window still very much open, few in Turkish or Saudi football expect this story to be finished just yet.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Despite two separate €120m bids from Europe and Saudi Arabia, Galatasaray have no intention of selling Victor Osimhen.
President Dursun Özbek values him at €150m and is instead pushing to tie him down with a new contract until 2029 and the club captaincy, a clear signal that Osimhen’s future remains firmly in Istanbul, not for sale at any price below their valuation.
