Arsenal Push for Osimhen as Galatasaray Holds Firm on Wages
Arsenal’s pursuit of Victor Osimhen has reached a hard line: if the Nigerian wants to wear red at the Emirates this season, he will have to cut his wage demands.
The London club have held direct talks over a move for the Galatasaray striker, but are refusing to be drawn into an oversized contract offer, according to FootMercato. Any deal now hinges on whether Osimhen is prepared to sacrifice part of his current earnings to make the transfer happen.
Right now, the 27-year-old is on a package worth more than €20m (£17.1m) a year in Turkey. Arsenal are not prepared to match that figure. Not even close, by the sound of it. For a club that has worked carefully to control its wage structure under Mikel Arteta and Edu, this is a line they are reluctant to cross.
Arteta still wants a centre-forward. That much is clear. After failing to prise Julian Alvarez away from Atletico Madrid – with the Argentine said to favour Barcelona over a return to the Premier League – attention has locked onto Osimhen, one of Europe’s most coveted No. 9s.
The problem? Galatasaray don’t want to sell.
Club president Dursun Ozbek has been adamant the striker is not on the market, and his stance carries weight. Earlier this month, the Turkish champions rejected a huge €130m (£111m) bid from Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal, a statement of intent that echoed across the window. If that kind of money could not move them, Arsenal know they are walking into a brutal negotiation.
And this is not just about wages. Even if Osimhen agrees to a reduced salary, Arsenal must still find a transfer fee that tempts a club who have already turned down Saudi wealth. That is a different kind of battle.
Al-Hilal, rebuffed in their chase for Osimhen, quickly switched focus to Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins. The answer was the same. Their latest £45m offer was rejected, another reminder of how hard it has become to prise top-tier strikers from clubs who either don’t need the money or can’t afford to lose them.
While the market wrangles continue, Osimhen is doing the one thing he can control: scoring.
He has started the season in Turkey in ruthless form. On Friday, he struck twice and added an assist in Galatasaray’s 4-0 away win over Erzurumspor, a dominant display that underlined his status as the league’s standout forward. Before that, he had already hit a brace in a 2-2 draw with Corum FK.
Those numbers only strengthen Galatasaray’s resolve. They also sharpen Arsenal’s dilemma. Every goal pushes his value, his leverage, and the Turkish club’s asking price a little higher.
For now, Osimhen is expected to keep leading the line for the Turkish champions, the focal point of a side with domestic dominance in their sights and European ambitions of their own. Arsenal wait, hopeful but firm on their terms.
The clock is ticking on the summer window. The question is simple: will Osimhen sacrifice a slice of his salary to chase a Premier League dream, or will Arsenal’s next great No. 9 stay out of reach for another season?
