Arsenal Considering Move for Galatasaray Striker Victor Osimhen

Arsenal are weighing up a bold move for Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen as they search for extra firepower at the top end of the pitch – with Manchester United stepping away from the race.

The London club poured £64million into Viktor Gyokeres last summer, but the hunt for a marquee No 9 has not gone away. Julian Alvarez sits at the top of their wishlist, with the Argentine having informed Atletico Madrid he wants out to chase the biggest prizes in the game, from the Champions League to the Ballon d’Or.

There is a problem. Alvarez dreams of Barcelona. Atleti, sensing his importance and the demand, are also pointing to a price tag north of €200m (£171m). That combination has forced Arsenal to widen the net.

Osimhen is one of the names now moving up their board. The Nigerian has long spoken of a desire to test himself in the Premier League, and Galatasaray know they are sitting on one of Europe’s most coveted centre-forwards.

TEAMtalk report that both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have held internal discussions about launching a move for the 27-year-old. United, who have tracked him for years, have cooled their interest, put off by the overall financial package it would take to get him out of Istanbul.

That retreat from Old Trafford blows the race wide open. For the first time in a while, the path looks clearer for either of the north London rivals to make a serious play to bring Osimhen to England.

At this stage, though, it is only talk. No bid, no negotiations, just the early groundwork and a lot of number-crunching behind the scenes.

The figures will be brutal. Some recent claims have suggested Osimhen might be prised away for as little as €65m (£55.5m), but that feels wildly optimistic given his status as one of the leading No 9s on the continent. Galatasaray hold a contract that runs for another three years, and that security puts them in a powerful position to demand something far closer to the £100m bracket.

Then come the wages. TEAMtalk state Osimhen is seeking around £400,000 per week to make the jump to the Premier League. That level of salary helped derail his proposed move to Chelsea in 2024 and would instantly make him one of the best-paid players in England.

For Arsenal and Spurs, that is the calculation: not just the fee, but the wage structure, the dressing-room balance, the knock-on effect for future deals.

There is also a broader squad question at the Emirates. With Gyokeres already leading the line, some at the club may argue that sporting director Andrea Berta’s time and budget are better spent on a top-class left winger for Mikel Arteta instead of another headline centre-forward.

That need is already biting. Arsenal have seen moves for Morgan Rogers and Vinicius Junior fall away this summer. Bradley Barcola is firmly on their radar, yet Liverpool currently sit in pole position for the Frenchman.

If that chase also slips away, the focus sharpens on alternatives. Nico Williams, Kenan Yildiz and Iliman Ndiaye are all under consideration as options to reshape the attack from the flanks.

So Arsenal face a stark choice in the weeks ahead: double down on the dream of a blockbuster No 9 in Osimhen, or pivot hard towards the wide areas and trust Gyokeres to carry the load through the middle while the rest of the attack is rebuilt around him.