Victor Osimhen has been linked to both Liverpool and Man Utd
Victor Osimhen has decided he wants to sign for Galatasaray after the truth over rumours of a move to both Liverpool and Manchester United were cleared up – and leaving the Premier League giants to focus on deals for two other options apiece.
The Nigeria striker has established himself as one of the best centre forwards in world football, scoring an impressive 76 goals in 133 games at parent club Napoli. But after a falling out with coach Antonio Conte, who decided to put his faith in Romelu Lukaku, Osimhen was shipped off to Turkey where he spent a year on loan with Galatasaray.
And it was in the Super Lig where the 26-year-old enjoyed his best season yet, blasting in an impressive 37 goals in 41 games for Okan Buruk’s side as they picked up the Turkish league crown for the third successive season.
As a result, speculation has risen over where the 40-times capped striker will play next and, amid strong links to both Manchester United and Liverpool, a report last week revealed the striker had narrowed his shortlist down to four potential destinations.
As far as Liverpool were concerned, our transfer insider Rudy Galetti had revealed the Premier League champions had discussed a possible deal for Osimhen as part of Napoli’s enquiries for both Darwin Nunez and Federico Chiesa.
But with a complicated triple three-way exchange loosely discussed, but without an agreement reached, it was left instead for Napoli to try and thrash out terms for Nunez as a solitary transfer arrangement, and with all parties happy to sanction that move. Talks over that deal remain ongoing..
As for United, Galetti also revealed on June 14 that United were ‘far behind’ in the transfer race, revealing Ruben Amorim’s side were prioritising other targets, like Bryan Mbeumo instead, and having felt the Nigerian’s wage demands were simply too big a bridge to cross.
As a result, and according to Corriere dello Sport, Osimhen has now decided he wants to sign for Galatasaray on a permanent basis, claiming he enjoyed his year in Istanbul so much that he now wants to return and has no desire to move to Saudi Arabia, despite their very lucrative offer to bring him to their Pro-League.
Osimhen picks Galatasaray as Man Utd, Liverpool chase alternatives
As Galetti revealed in his report on June 14, the key factor in Osimhen’s decision was the opportunity to play in the Champions League – effectively ending United’s hopes from the off.
And when Liverpool failed to pursue his signing any further, the striker has effectively been left with little other choice but to say yes to a permanent move back to Turkey, and with his other suitors Juventus instead signing Jonathan David as a free agent.
However, a move to Gala still looks far from certain, with Napoli still holding out for their €75m (£64.8m, $88.3m) asking price for the star – a fee which would hugely test the Turkish champions’ determination to get a deal over the line.
Vice president of Galatasaray, Abdullah Kavukcu, speaking back in March, is also wary of the difficulties in securing a permanent deal, though he insists it’s not beyond the realms of possibility.
“At the moment, five of the world’s top clubs are interested in him. His arrival here was a dream – he came, and for now, he is playing with us. In January, there was talk of a transfer, but he stayed,” he told Sport Mediaset.
“He loves Galatasaray very much. Right now, he is the dream of all our rivals. Although we are focused on winning the title, we have not had direct discussions with Victor yet. There is no point in talking about it now.
“Galatasaray are a top-level club – if it weren’t, Victor wouldn’t have come. His stay at Galatasaray is not as impossible as it may seem.”
England striker says YES to Man Utd move; Isak still possible for Liverpool
As for United, they are now looking into possible moves for Ollie Watkins or Ivan Toney, amid claims the latter has already said YES to a move to Old Trafford.
However, The Athletic’s Lawrie Whitwell is adamant that the Aston Villa man is now their No 1 aim. That theory has also been backed up by Fabrizio Romano, who claims an enquiry has now been made to their Premier League rivals.
As for Liverpool, a high-profile commentator insists the prospects of Alexander Isak departing Newcastle and joining Arne Slot’s side this summer cannot be ruled out, amid reports that a ‘wage-structure-breaking’ contract is being prepared for the 25-year-old Swede.
The Premier League champions also like Hugo Ekitike, and the France Under-21s striker has made his stance on a potential move to Anfield abundantly clear.
An Eintracht Frankfurt official has also spoken out on the chances of the star making the move in the summer transfer window.
Victor Osimhen and his incredible goalscoring record
