Premier League giants Chelsea have reportedly entered the race to sign Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen from Turkish champions Galatasaray, with the club said to be demanding a staggering €150 million for the Nigerian forward.
The latest transfer speculation intensified after Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle revealed that Osimhen was omitted from Nigeria’s squad for the upcoming international friendlies against Poland and Portugal due to ongoing discussions surrounding a possible transfer.
“Victor Osimhen will not be in our friendly matches against Poland and Portugal because there may be a possibility of a club change,” Chelle said. “Therefore, I preferred him to stay at home. If your mind is not 100 per cent here, going out on the field to play does not create a good situation.”
The comments immediately fueled fresh rumours about the 27-year-old striker’s future, with several top European clubs reportedly monitoring his situation.
Osimhen, however, swiftly responded to calm the growing speculation, insisting that Chelle’s remarks had been misunderstood and taken out of context.
“I just got off the phone with Coach Eric Chelle regarding the comments about me in his recent interview,” Osimhen wrote on Instagram.
“Unfortunately, his words have been taken out of context and blown out of proportion. He has great respect for Galatasaray, follows most of our games and never intended to create any controversy. I kindly ask everyone to disregard the speculation surrounding this matter.”
The Super Eagles media team also moved quickly to clarify Chelle’s original statement after it generated widespread reactions online.
Despite Osimhen’s clarification, interest in the prolific striker remains strong across Europe. Manchester United have previously been linked with the Nigerian international, who is reportedly high on the club’s shortlist of attacking targets for the summer transfer window.
According to Turkish newspaper Sabah, Chelsea have now initiated contact over a potential move, with the London club expected to step up efforts in the coming weeks. Galatasaray, however, are reportedly unwilling to negotiate any deal below €150m for the forward they signed from Napoli for €75m last summer.
Osimhen enjoyed another impressive campaign in Turkey, scoring 15 league goals and registering five assists in 22 appearances as Galatasaray successfully defended the Turkish Super Lig title. He also made a significant impact in the UEFA Champions League, contributing seven goals and three assists as the club reached the round of 16.
He also served as Deputy Editor at Sahara Reporters Sports and worked as Content Manager for the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL), contributing significantly to sports journalism and digital content development in Nigeria.
Known for his strong storytelling ability and editorial expertise, Olayinka Olawole has covered a wide range of subjects, while also building a reputation in digital storytelling, audience engagement, and content optimisation for online and media platforms.
