Arsenal step up quest for Osimhen demanding him in exchange for Martinelli and Nwaneri

ENGLISH Premier League champions Arsenal have launched an audacious bid to sign Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen before the close of the current summer transfer window by offering his club Galatasaray Gabriel Martinelli and Ethan Nwaneri in exchange.

In just over a week, the 2026/27 Premier League season will start, with Arsenal taking on newly-promoted Coventry City in their opening match. Aware of how several of their rivals, particularly Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham have strengthened their squads, Arsenal know that to retain their title, they will need a few additional players.

With just over a week to go, Arsenal have opened talks with Galatasaray over a blockbuster move that would set the cart among the pigeons. Twice this summer, the British transfer record was broken, first with Elliot Anderson's £116m move to Manchester City from Nottingham Forest and then  Morgan Rogers joining Chelsea from Aston Villa for £117m.

According to British daily broadsheet The Telegraph, Osimhen was added to discussions between the clubs after Galatasaray expressed an interest in Arsenal wingers Martinelli and Nwaneri.  Galatasaray have made a £38.4m offer for Martinelli, who looks like he may be sidelined following the signing of Christos Tzolis and the Turkish giants have also expressed an interest in Nwaneri.

During discussions over both moves, the possibility of Osimhen moving to Arsenal was discussed, as the Gunners have had a long-standing interest in the striker. However, they view him as second to top target Julian Alvarez but with Atletico Madrid holding to their massive valuation of over £100m, signing Osimhen may be more palatable, especially if it can come as part of a deal for Martinelli and Nwaneri.

Osimhen, 27, scored 22 goals and provided eight assists in 33 appearances for Galatasaray last season. Throughout his career, Osimhen has been strongly linked with a move to the Premier League, with Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea reportedly keen on a deadline day move ahead of the 2024/25 season.

However, were Osimhen to join Arsenal it is likely that he would have to accept a sizeable pay cut, with his current contract reportedly fetching him £308,000 a week. If he were to join Arsenal on such a high wage, he would immediately become the club's highest-earner, surpassing Bukayo Saka's £300,000 a week salary, while earning £108,000 a week more than last summer's striker signing Viktor Gyokeres.

In fact, £308,000 a week would actually place Osimhen third on the entire Premier League's salary list, behind only Virgil van Dijk (£350,000) and Erling Haaland (£525,000). Osimhen, Haaland and French captain Kylian Mbappe are generally considered the best three finishers in the world.