Barcelona Contacted Galatasaray Over Victor Osimhen in January With Injury Condition Attached, Insider Reveals

Barcelona’s interest in Victor Osimhen stretches back further than previously known, with Turkish sports journalist Evren Göz revealing that the Spanish giants reached out to Galatasaray as early as January to express concrete interest in the Nigeria international. According to Göz, as reported by Webaslan, the approach went beyond informal enquiries, with Barcelona even attempting to lay the groundwork for a preliminary agreement ahead of the summer transfer window.

“In the winter, Barcelona said, ‘We will most likely be interested in Osimhen, and if he doesn’t suffer a serious injury, we even want to make a preliminary agreement,'” Göz revealed, indicating that the 27-year-old’s fitness record was a central factor in the club’s calculations.

Despite the proactive nature of that early contact, Osimhen does not sit at the top of Barcelona’s summer wishlist. The Blaugrana’s primary target for the ongoing transfer window remains Atlético Madrid forward Julián Álvarez, with the Nigeria international currently considered a secondary option by the Catalan club.

Osimhen joined Galatasaray on loan from Napoli ahead of the 2024/25 season after a proposed move to Chelsea collapsed in the final stages of the summer 2024 window. The striker, who won the Serie A title with Napoli in the 2022/23 campaign, has since established himself as one of the standout performers in the Turkish Super Lig, reinforcing his status as one of African football’s most sought-after attackers.

On Galatasaray’s side, the club’s official position remains unambiguous. President Dursun Özbek has consistently stated that Osimhen is not available for transfer under any circumstances, declining even to place a market valuation on the forward as a matter of principle. The club has not publicly wavered from that stance despite the volume of reported interest from across Europe’s top leagues.

However, according to reports, Galatasaray’s firm public posture may not reflect their private position entirely. Sources suggest the Istanbul club would be willing to engage with offers in the region of €140 million, a figure that would represent one of the largest transfer fees in the history of Turkish football.

With the summer transfer window now open and the 2026 FIFA World Cup providing an additional platform for high-profile players to attract attention, Osimhen’s situation is expected to develop further over the coming weeks. Barcelona’s financial constraints, which have been well-documented in recent seasons, may ultimately determine whether they can mount a credible challenge for the striker’s signature, particularly if Álvarez remains their first-choice target. Any serious pursuit of Osimhen at a reported €140 million threshold would require significant financial manoeuvring from the Spanish club.