Osimhen: What Galatasaray lose if Arsenal sign Super Eagles star

Galatasaray have started the 2026-27 Turkish Super Lig season with Victor Osimhen still leading the attack, Afrik-Foot reports.

Interestingly, the Nigeria international is not just Galatasaray’s main goalscorer. He changes how opponents defend, gives the team an outlet under pressure and can turn a difficult game with one run or one finish.

That is why Arsenal’s interest matters so much to the Turkish champions. Reports say Arsenal have discussed Osimhen’s availability with Galatasaray, although the Turkish club have publicly insisted that the striker is not for sale.

Osimhen has also kept the door open. After scoring twice against Çorum FK in the opening game of the 2026-27 Süper Lig season, he said: “There are always rumours during transfer windows. I will focus on my job. We’ll see and think about the future.”

The latest evidence raises the question: what would Galatasaray lose if Arsenal actually get the deal done?

Osimhen’s goals are the first problem

Osimhen scored 22 goals and made eight assists in 33 competitive games for Galatasaray in 2025-26 as the club lifted a fourth consecutive Super Lig title. He scored 15 league goals and seven Champions League goals.

His European record was especially important. He scored three times in Galatasaray’s 3-0 win at Ajax and scored the winner in the stunning group stage victory over Liverpool. He then scored in the 105th minute of the knockout round second leg against Juventus, helping Galatasaray survive a 3-2 defeat and advance 7-5 on aggregate.

Now look at the new season. Osimhen has scored four goals in his first two league games. He scored twice in a 2-2 draw with Çorum FK, then grabbed another brace in the 4-0 win at Erzurumspor on Friday. He also created Yunus Akgün’s goal in that match.

That is 30 goal contributions last season, followed by four goals and one assist involvement in the first two league games of this season. Replacing that output is not a one-player task.

Galatasaray have already shown the warning signs

The 2025-26 league results give a useful counterfactual. Galatasaray finished champions with 24 wins, five draws and five defeats from 34 matches. They scored 77 goals and conceded 30, giving them 77 points.

Osimhen did not play in six of those league games. Galatasaray won three, lost three and collected nine points from those six matches. They scored nine goals and conceded five.

The two most damaging defeats were a 2-0 loss at Konyaspor on February 21 and a 2-1 loss at Trabzonspor on April 4. Galatasaray also lost 1-0 at Kasımpaşa on the final day after Osimhen served a suspension.

Across the 28 league matches in which he played, Galatasaray’s record was 21 wins, five draws and two defeats, based on the full-season record and those six absences. That is 68 points from 28 games, or 2.43 points per game, compared with 1.50 points per game in the six matches without him.

It is not proof that Osimhen alone caused the difference. Injuries, suspensions, opponents and squad changes also matter. But the gap is too large to ignore.

It is more than goals

Osimhen gives Galatasaray a physical presence that is difficult to replace. His speed forces defenders to drop deeper. His runs behind the defensive line can create space for players such as Leroy Sané, Yunus Akgün and Barış Alper Yılmaz. His strength allows Galatasaray to play forward when they cannot build through midfield. He also presses defenders and can chase long balls that other forwards may not reach.

The numbers from the Champions League show the level of threat he creates. UEFA recorded Osimhen with 25 shots on target in the 2025-26 competition, second only to Kylian Mbappé’s 30. He finished with seven goals in 10 matches.

That matters in tight games. A striker does not need five chances when one run can change the match.

Can Galatasaray still win the title?

Yes. But the answer depends on what happens after Osimhen’s potential departure to Arsenal or even Atletico Madrid.

Scenario 1: Galatasaray replace him successfully

This is the best outcome. If Galatasaray use the money from an Osimhen sale to sign a top-level centre-forward, they can still challenge for the title. The squad has enough attacking talent. Sané, Akgün, Barış Alper and Gabriel Sara can create and score goals.

The challenge is finding a player who can replace both Osimhen’s goals and his movement. If they do that, Galatasaray should still be title favourites.

Scenario 2: They rely on the existing attackers

This is possible, but more risky, especially with Icardi, who scored 16 goals in all competitions last term, having already left Galatasaray. The champions still boast the talents of Barış Alper, who found the net 12 times last season, as well as Akgün (ten goals) and Sané (seven goals).

The goals are there, but the burden would be spread across several players. That could work against weaker teams. It becomes harder against Fenerbahçe, Trabzonspor and in the Champions League, where one elite striker can decide a game.

Scenario 3: Galatasaray struggle to replace him

This is the danger. The 2025-26 results without Osimhen offer a clear warning. Three wins and three defeats in six league games is not the record of a team that can afford to lose its main match-winner without a plan. A few extra draws can change a title race. A single defeat in a derby can have the same effect.

Galatasaray have won four consecutive Turkish league titles. The 2026-27 campaign has already started, and Osimhen has scored four goals in two games. If Arsenal take him away, Galatasaray will not only lose a striker. They will lose their fastest route to goals, their strongest threat behind defenders and a player who has already decided major games in Istanbul and Europe.

The title can still be won without him. But Galatasaray will need more than a replacement name on the team sheet. They will need a new attacking plan and a goalscoring machine and, sadly, there are not many on the level of Osimhen.