Arsenal Lock Horns with Barcelona in Battle for Osimhen as Berta Circles

Arsenal have entered the fray for Victor Osimhen, with sporting director Andrea Berta making his intentions clear by travelling to Istanbul to watch the Nigerian striker in action last weekend. The Gunners chief attended Galatasaray's Turkish Super Lig clash against Fenerbahce as a guest of FIFA-licensed agent George Gardi, who operates as an informal transfer go-between for the Istanbul club.

Having seen Osimhen perform live, Berta has wasted little time in making preliminary contact. Reports suggest the Arsenal official has already opened exploratory talks to determine whether a deal remains feasible—positioning the 27-year-old as his leading target for the summer window.

The problem? Arsenal are far from alone in their pursuit. Barcelona are circling too, hunting for fresh attacking reinforcements with Robert Lewandowski expected to depart the Camp Nou when his contract expires. The Spanish giants' interest, combined with the Gunners' determination, is set to spark an all-out international scramble for Osimhen's signature.

Galatasaray are demanding €150m (£129.5m) for the prolific forward, who has delivered consistently since arriving on loan from Napoli ahead of the 2024/25 campaign. The Turkish club subsequently made the arrangement permanent by paying Napoli €75m, establishing Osimhen as the most expensive signing in Turkish football history.

This season alone, he has notched 20 goals and seven assists across 31 appearances for Galatasaray. Over the course of last year's loan spell, Osimhen was utterly devastating—bagging 37 goals and eight assists in 41 matches across all competitions as he fired Galatasaray to both the Turkish Super Lig title and the Turkish Cup.

The speculation doesn't end with Arsenal and Barcelona, however. FIFA agent Mithat Halis, who worked with Osimhen during his Wolfsburg days, has suggested Real Madrid could yet throw their hat into the ring. According to Halis, the deal would comfortably exceed €100m, with the striker's arrival potentially reshaping Madrid's attacking landscape.

"His transfer could be between Real Madrid and Barcelona," Halis told Spanish media last month. "One has given up on Lewandowski. The other doesn't have a centre forward."

Halis points to Madrid's particular need, noting that the club has operated without a natural number nine since Karim Benzema's departure. Currently, Carlo Ancelotti fields Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior as makeshift forwards, forcing them away from their preferred wide positions.

"If they sign Osimhen, Mbappé and Vinícius will play in their natural positions, as wingers, and will be more effective," Halis reasoned. "Victor Osimhen would be a very functional player for Real Madrid."

The summer transfer window is shaping up to be a fascinating one for the elite European clubs hunting elite strikers.