Victor Osimhen does not want to stay at Galatasaray next season, and his decision could end up directly influencing Julian Alvarez’s future at Atletico Madrid.
The Nigerian forward has been offered to the Spanish club and, should talks progress, could pave the way for a potential move for the Argentine to Barcelona.
According to Spanish outlet Sport, Osimhen’s representatives offered the player to Atletico Madrid, though there has been no progress in talks so far. The club’s hierarchy believe a signing in attack would only make sense if a forward were to leave the squad this transfer window.
Osimhen offered to Atletico Madrid
© Imago
In that scenario, Julian Alvarez emerges as a key piece. The Argentine is considered Barcelona’s leading target to strengthen their attack, even though Atletico Madrid have maintained their stance of not negotiating over one of their key players.
Behind the scenes, the Catalan club had already identified this exact obstacle: beyond not wanting to lose their number nine, Atletico Madrid did not see a replacement on the market capable of maintaining the same technical level for the team.
That is precisely where Osimhen’s name comes in. The Nigerian is viewed as a forward with sufficient attributes to fill any potential gap left by Alvarez, becoming an alternative should the Argentine’s situation change in the coming weeks.
Osimhen, Alvarez and Barcelona: financial demands complicate a deal
© Imago
Despite being offered to Atletico Madrid, signing Osimhen is far from straightforward. The main obstacle in the negotiation lies not necessarily in the transfer fee, but in the financial terms demanded by the player.
According to reports in the Spanish press, the forward could be sold for around £65m, a figure considered high but still within the range typically seen on the European market for a player of his calibre.
The real sticking point, however, is his salary. Osimhen currently earns around £14.5m net per season at Galatasaray, a figure considered out of line with Atletico Madrid’s financial reality.
In addition, the forward’s contract includes an unusual clause: he retains 100 per cent of his image rights, a factor that further increases the cost of any potential deal and reduces the negotiating margin for any interested party.
For that reason, the club’s hierarchy have no plans to make further investments in attack at this stage. Their planning for the season remains based on keeping both Alexander Sorloth and Julian Alvarez, a duo considered sufficient for the attacking department.
However, that scenario could change should Barcelona make progress in their pursuit of the Argentine forward. The Catalan club are preparing a meeting with Julian Alvarez’s representatives to discuss a possible transfer and do not yet consider the matter closed.
Should the Argentine show interest in leaving Madrid, or increase pressure for a departure, Atletico Madrid already have a potential replacement on their radar.
In that context, Victor Osimhen emerges as the leading candidate to fill the role, although the high costs involved in the deal remain the biggest challenge in turning interest into a concrete negotiation.