Chelsea Show Interest in Osimhen, Report

Chelsea is now in the running to sign Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen from Galatasaray. The Turkish champions want €150m for the Nigerian forward, according to reports from Turkey, PUNCH Sports Extra says.

This comes after Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle said Osimhen will not join Nigeria’s squad for the June friendlies against Poland and Portugal. He mentioned that ongoing transfer talks influenced this decision, sparking fresh rumors about the 27-year-old's future.

“Victor Osimhen will not be in our friendly matches against Poland and Portugal. Because there may be a possibility of a club change. Therefore, I preferred him to stay at home. If your mind is not 100% here, going out on the field to play does not create a good situation,” Chelle said.

Osimhen quickly responded to the rumors, saying the transfer talk is not true. He explained that Chelle’s words were misunderstood.

“I just got off the phone with Coach Eric Chelle regarding the comments about me in his recent interview,” he 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 stepped in to clear up Chelle’s comments after they made headlines.

Despite Osimhen’s statement, interest in him is still high across Europe. He has been linked with Manchester United, where he is reportedly at the top of the club’s list of strikers for the summer transfer window. People close to Osimhen say he would only think about leaving if Galatasaray decides to sell him.

According to Turkish newspaper Sabah, Chelsea has started talks about a possible summer deal. The London club is expected to make formal moves during the transfer window. However, Galatasaray has made it clear they will not consider any offers below €150m for a player they bought from Napoli for €75m last summer.

On the field, Osimhen had another great season. He scored 15 league goals and made five assists in 22 matches as Galatasaray won the Turkish Super Lig title again. He also added seven goals and three assists in the UEFA Champions League as the club reached the round of 16.