Arsenal Push Osimhen to Slash Wages in Transfer Pursuit

Arsenal have drawn a hard line in their pursuit of Victor Osimhen: take a pay cut, or the move is off.

The London club have held direct talks over a deal for the Galatasaray striker but, according to FootMercato, they refuse to be dragged into a financial arms race for his signature. Any transfer now hinges on whether the Nigeria international is willing to walk away from his current salary package.

Osimhen, 27, earns more than €20m (£17.1m) a year in Turkey. That figure sits well beyond what Arsenal are prepared to offer, even with Mikel Arteta desperate for a new centre-forward before the window closes.

Arteta’s search has already hit one dead end. Arsenal tried and failed to prise Julian Alvarez away from Atletico Madrid, with the Argentine said to favour Barcelona over a Premier League return. That setback has sharpened the focus on Osimhen, but it has not loosened the purse strings.

The Wage Issue

The wage issue is only half the battle.

Galatasaray president Dursun Ozbek has repeatedly insisted that Osimhen is not for sale. The club backed up that stance earlier this month by rejecting a €130m (£111m) bid from Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal, a statement offer that would have tested most boards. Galatasaray didn’t blink.

Al-Hilal then pivoted to Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, only to see a £45m approach knocked back as well. Top strikers are locked down, prices are soaring, and selling clubs know it.

In that climate, Arsenal are trying to thread a needle: land an elite No 9 without smashing their wage structure or paying over the odds in fees. Osimhen fits the profile on the pitch, but the numbers off it remain a major obstacle.

He is doing little to weaken Galatasaray’s resolve.

Osimhen has started the season in Turkey in ruthless form. He scored twice and added an assist in a 4-0 away win over Erzurumspor on Friday, having already hit a brace in a 2-2 draw with Corum FK. He is not a wantaway forward sulking on the fringes; he is leading the line for the Turkish champions and delivering.

For now, Arsenal wait.

Galatasaray stand firm. Osimhen keeps scoring. And the clock on the summer window keeps ticking, asking a simple question: who blinks first?