(Football news) The Nigerian international joined Galatasaray on loan from Napoli last summer following the breakdown of his relationship with the Napoli hierarchy and head coach Antonio Conte.

Osimhen had previously been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League, with Chelsea known to have been admirers of the 26-year-old who had been identified as one of their top centre-forward targets.

A transfer to England, or Saudi Arabia, ultimately failed to materialise for Osimhen, who has since excelled in Turkey with Galatasaray, scoring 20 goals in 26 appearances across all competitions.

Osimhen has found the net 14 times in 19 Turkish Super Lig games to fire reigning champions Galatasaray six points clear at the top of the table, while he has also scored six goals in seven Europa League matches this term.

As things stand, Osimhen is due to see his loan deal at Galatasaray expire in the summer and his long-term future remains up in the air as the striker is not expected to return to Napoli.

What does the future hold for Osimhen?

While Chelsea are understood to still hold an interest in Osimhen, both Man United and Arsenal are alleged to have join the race for his signature this summer, with all three clubs set to prioritise the addition of a new centre-forward before next season.

It has recently been reported that Man United are receiving ‘weekly updates’ on the availability of some of their top targets including Osimhen, while Napoli are believed to be interested in Red Devils striker Rasmus Hojlund, seemingly opening up the possibility of a summer swap deal.

While playing in the Premier League is sure to be an attractive proposition for Osimhen, the Nigerian is currently loving life at Galatasaray and he is still unsure over his long-term future.

“To be honest I don’t know,” Osimhen told reporters when discussing his future. “You know the last few months, nobody ever thought I would come here, I never believed I would come to Galatasaray despite how big they are.

“I live for the moment. I don’t know what will happen in the summer, but I want everybody to understand that I really love this club. I love the fans, I love the president, I love everyone associated with the club. It’s really a big deal to be here and I’m really enjoying my time here.”

Napoli chief Manna: ‘Osimhen is an appetising player for clubs’

Osimhen is understood to have a €130m (£107.5m) release clause in his Napoli contract, which expires in June 2026, and the Serie A club’s director Giovanni Manna is hoping for a swift resolution to the striker’s future this summer.

“Victor is always going to be a hotly-debated topic and not just on the transfer market,” Manna said. “He is an appetising player for clubs, he has a clause and everyone knows this, we are working to find a solution as quickly as possible, so that we can avoid what happened last year.”

Manna is also keen to avoid another Osimhen transfer saga and ideally does not want to sell another high-value player midway through next season, after selling Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to Paris Saint-Germain for a reported €70m in January.

“There are certainly regrets, as it is never easy to lose an important player mid-season,” said Manna. “We talked about it a lot, but in my view the situation was also twisted.

“What it leaves me with is the intention to always be ready to deal with things we cannot control, but we are certain that we did the right thing there.”

Osimhen could be involved in Galatasaray’s next match in the Turkish Cup against Konyaspor on Thursday, but he is more likely to start in Sunday’s Super Lig clash with Kasimpasa.

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