Victor Osimhen to Chelsea transfer twist – Man Utd dream, Napoli stance, Galatasaray talks

Chelsea have been dealt a blow to their hopes of signing Victor Osimhen. The Napoli striker continues to be heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge following an impressive loan spell at Galatasaray.

Osimhen, who’s recently entered the final year of his contract in Italy, featured 30 times in the Süper Lig this season, scoring 26 goals and providing five assists. Playing a key role in Okan Buruk’s side, he fired the Istanbul-based outfit to a third successive title.

The 26-year-old also helped Galatasaray clinch the domestic double, netting twice in the Turkish Cup final against Trabzonspor. Despite being widely regarded as one of the top forwards in Europe, Osimhen faces an uncertain future.

So, with that being said, football.london has rounded up everything you need to know about the Nigeria international and his future.

Osimhen ‘dreams’ of United transfer

According to Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, Osimhen ‘dreams’ of joining Manchester United after snubbing an offer from Al Hilal. The report claims that the striker’s entourage spoke to the Saudi Pro League giants on Monday to discuss a potential switch to the Middle East.

But, Osimhen turned down Al Hilal, perking the interest of the Red Devils. Gazzetta dello Sport claim that United are plotting how to sign the Nigeria international, who has a €75m (£63.5m) release clause in his contract.

It’s said that United are considering a player-plus-cash bid, which could include Joshua Zirkzee. While Napoli are no longer keen on Alejandro Garnacho, they discussed a move with United at length in January – and this reportedly strengthened relations.

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Galatasaray boss shuts down Osimhen rumours

Last month, the Galatasaray boss provided an update on Osimhen’s future, shutting down rumours linking the striker with a move to Saudi Arabia. Speaking to ‘I Just Spoke’, as quoted by Turkish outlet NTV Sport, Buruk said: “Osimhen will look at the conditions.

“He’s very happy here at Galatasaray. He’s living the best days of his life. The player will decide about his future, as he’s made an incredible contribution here. We need to respect him but we are hopeful that he will stay with us.”

Buruk added: “He’s a professional player. There are talks about it but Osimhen will make the choice. He will look at the conditions. The part about Osimhen agreeing with the [Saudi] Arabian side is not true.”

Chelsea nearly signed Osimhen last summer

Chelsea almost signed Osimhen last summer. football.london understands that the Blues submitted a bid in the final days of the transfer window.

It’s believed that the west Londoners wanted to sign the Nigerian on a season-long loan, which included an obligation-to-buy clause. Despite Chelsea’s best efforts, they couldn’t reach an agreement with the Italian giants before the deadline.

So, having already been exiled by Antonio Conte, Osimhen snubbed an ‘extortionate’ offer from Al-Ahli and joined Galatasaray. In the meantime, Chelsea wrapped up a deal for Liam Delap, signing the England Under-21 international from Ipswich Town for £30m.

De Laurentiis fuels Osimhen speculation

In March 2024, Aurelio De Laurentiis was a guest at the Financial Times’ Business of Football Summit, held in London. Speaking to Sky Sports, he was asked for an update on Osimhen’s future at Napoli.

“Victor is another good player that Napoli have,” said the club president. “We had [Edinson] Cavani, [Gonzalo] Higuain, [Ezequiel] Lavezzi, and we had [Dries] Mertens, we had a lot of people who were fantastic.

“And there are others who are attracted by Real Madrid, by Paris Saint-Germain, by Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea. So you cannot stop them, especially when they have a fixed amount of money where they can be bought.”

De Laurentiis added: “Osimhen is a very great player – but you know Napoli is a fantastic place. There are certain players who fell in love with Napoli and stayed, like [Marek] Hamsik for 11 years.

“Or like others, for eight years. He has a release clause. It’s a very big amount of money. Who knows who will leave, we will see. The money is the last problem for Napoli. We always made very good acquisitions, as we did in the past.

“We will do [so] in the future. The problem is just sentimental problems. When you see a player leave, it’s like a son. You are also happy if this son has fantastic success everywhere else.”

‘Osimhen could move to the Premier League’

Speaking to reporters in January 2024, Napoli’s president revealed the Premier League could be Osimhen’s next destination. De Laurentiis said: “We already knew it since last summer.

“The negotiation for the renewal would not have been this long otherwise. We already knew he would go to Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain or the Premier League.

Earlier in the week, Osimhen was quizzed on his future at Napoli, and he described the English top-flight as ‘one of the biggest and best’ in the world. The Nigerian said: “The rumour is going around about me linked with the Premier League.

“Of course, when you’re one of the hottest strikers in the world, you expect this type of thing, it’s one of the biggest and best leagues in the world. For me, I’m with Napoli, signed a new contract and enjoying my time there with the team.

“At the end of the season, I’ve already made up my mind, I already know what I want to do in my career. Since I’ve started, I’ve been the one making my own decisions on everything, and it’s working out well for me. I already know the next step I want to take so for now I just want to finish the season strong.”