Barca reignite Osimhen interest – Report

August 27, 2026 12:07 am

Barcelona have renewed their interest in Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen after failing to make headway in their pursuit of Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez, according to a report by Todomercatoweb.

The Italian digital sports news outlet reported that having failed to achieve the desired outcome in the Alvarez chase, the Spanish club now regard Osimhen as a priority target and are expected to act soon.

TeamTalk also reported that Barcelona sporting director Deco has stepped up the club’s pursuit of the Nigerian, who had featured on Barcelona’s shortlist during the summer as a fallback option.

Osimhen is considered a more attainable target than Alvarez and represents a credible option for a club still searching for attacking solutions ahead of the closing stages of the transfer window.

The 27-year-old has started the new season exactly as he ended the last one, scoring four goals in Galatasaray’s opening two Super Lig matches. He rescued a point with a brace against newly promoted Corum FK before adding another two, along with an assist, in a 4-0 win over Erzurumspor.

The run has extended his streak of direct goal contributions in the Super Lig to 15 consecutive matches, in which he has scored 15 goals and provided six assists.

Osimhen finished the 2024/25 season as the Super Lig’s top scorer with 26 league goals from 37 appearances in all competitions, a form that helped fire Galatasaray to a domestic double.

His performances since making his move from Napoli permanent in a club-record €75m deal last year saw Galatasaray retain the league title last season and have kept him on the radar of several of Europe’s leading clubs, with Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur also credited with interest.

Galatasaray have consistently insisted they do not want to sell the striker, though their stance is reported to be under increasing pressure as interest from elsewhere continues to grow.

Barcelona’s sporting management are said to be working actively to complete the signing of a new striker before the transfer deadline.

Peter Akinbo

Peter, who has been covering sports for PUNCH for close to two years, focuses on combat sports reporting, special features and human angle stories

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