Victor Osimhen: Why Premier League clubs are yet to take a chance on Super Eagles star

Victor Osimhen’s long-awaited Premier League move has remained elusive despite years of interest from some of England’s biggest clubs, Afrik-Foot reports.

The Nigerian forward has been linked with Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool at different stages of his career, yet none of those approaches has resulted in a move to England.

That is difficult to explain purely from a footballing perspective. Osimhen has already demonstrated his goalscoring ability in several of Europe’s major leagues, winning the Serie A title with Napoli and finishing the 2022/23 campaign with 31 goals.

His record has remained formidable since moving to Galatasaray permanently, with the 27-year-old reaching 65 goals in just 78 appearances for the Turkish giants.

Yet, despite that production and repeated Premier League interest, England has continued to remain out of reach.

Osimhen has proven he can score at the highest level

The strongest argument for Osimhen succeeding in England is the consistency of his goalscoring record across different environments.

His European journey has taken him from Wolfsburg to Charleroi, Lille, Napoli and eventually Galatasaray, with the Nigerian adapting successfully at each major step.

At Napoli, he became one of Europe’s most feared centre-forwards and helped the club win their first Serie A title in more than three decades.

His 31-goal campaign in 2022/23 was particularly significant because it showed that his game was not dependent on one particular league or tactical environment.

He combined pace, physical strength, movement behind defensive lines and ruthless finishing to become the focal point of Napoli’s attack.

Those are qualities that should make him attractive to Premier League clubs, and former Manchester United striker Andy Cole agrees.

Quizzed whether Osimhen has the attributes required to succeed in England, the former United forward said:

“He does. He scores goals. He scored goals in Italy and he’s scoring goals in Turkey as well,” the five-time English Premier League winner said in quotes revealed by GOAL.

Cole added that he expects Osimhen to perform well if he eventually makes the move.

“If he does come to the Premier League, I think he will be very good in the Premier League; you never know who he’ll go to.”

The transfer equation is more complicated than goals

If Osimhen’s footballing profile makes sense for the Premier League, why has nobody taken the final step?

That is where Cole’s comments become interesting. The former England international stressed that signing a player is rarely determined by ability alone.

“But, you know, it depends. There are many different factors in signing a player from a respective country,” Cole said.

“It’s not all about just the salary or the transfer fee. There could be many different things that go on.”

That observation is particularly relevant to Osimhen’s transfer history. The Nigerian has previously been available at a substantial cost, while salary expectations have also been identified as an obstacle for Premier League clubs.

In 2024, for example, Osimhen was still under contract with Napoli with a €130 million release clause, while Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United were all linked with him without making a formal offer.

The financial equation has changed since then, but the basic problem has remained.

Galatasaray eventually paid €75 million to sign him permanently in 2025, while his contract and salary package might be a stumbling block to any future transfer.

Premier League clubs are still interested

Perhaps the most revealing aspect of Osimhen’s situation is that interest from England has never really gone away.

Manchester United have repeatedly been linked with him, while Chelsea came close to a deal in 2024.

Arsenal also explored the possibility of signing the Nigerian during the 2026 summer transfer window, with reports of contact between the Gunners and Galatasaray. Yet, none of those situations developed into a completed transfer.

That suggests Premier League clubs do not have doubts about Osimhen’s talent. Instead, they appear to have struggled to reach the point where his quality outweighs the financial and sporting complications attached to the deal.

The Premier League may still be Osimhen’s next destination

There is also little indication that the door to England has been permanently closed.

Osimhen has previously spoken about his ambition to play in the Premier League, while his performances at Galatasaray have continued to strengthen the argument that he would be capable of making the transition.

His current numbers only reinforce that case. Former United striker Louis Saha has gone even further, describing Osimhen as a potential “transformational signing” for the club and highlighting his success in France, Italy and Turkey.

Patrice Evra has also urged United to sign the Nigerian, arguing that the club needs a striker capable of consistently scoring goals.

The problem, therefore, is not whether Osimhen has enough evidence to justify a Premier League move. It never was.

The bigger question is whether one of England’s elite clubs will finally decide that his goals, physical qualities and goalscoring instincts are worth overcoming the financial and strategic complications that have prevented previous attempts from succeeding.

Until that happens, Osimhen’s Premier League story will remain on hold, at least until his Galatasaray chapter is over.