Barcelona target Osimhen responds after Chelle's Galatasaray exit comment

Victor Osimhen has debunked the transfer speculations that emanated from the comments made by Super Eagles head coach Éric Chelle regarding his future, urging Galatasaray supporters to completely disregard the reports.

The speculations were sparked when Chelle ruled the star striker out of the Super Eagles' upcoming international friendlies against Poland (in Warsaw on June 3) and Portugal (in Leiria on June 10).

When attempting to explain the omission, the French-Malian suggested the forward was finalising a summer exit, stating, "We miss two players because Victor Osimhen maybe he is about to change clubs, so I prefer he stays at home because if he plays and is not at 100 percent is not good."

Chelle's comments have seemingly confirmed the reports that claimed that the Nigerian’s representatives are working on his exit from Istanbul.

However, Osimhen quickly released a statement reassuring the Cim-Bom faithful, confirming he personally spoke with Chelle to clear the air.

"Unfortunately, his words have been taken out of context and blown out of proportion," Osimhen declared. "He has great respect for Galatasaray... and never intended to create any controversy... I kindly ask everyone to disregard the speculation surrounding this matter."

Despite Osimhen's reassurance and the deep, endearing connection he has successfully forged with the Cim-Bom fanbase, having just spearheaded their charge to consecutive Süper Lig titles, the 27-year-old is still widely believed to harbour strong ambitions of eventually returning to the pinnacle of European football.

These lingering ambitions align with the concrete transfer interest from LALIGA champions Barcelona. While there were initially doubts regarding the Catalan club's ability to afford to sign Osimhen, their recent, aggressive market activity has shifted that narrative.

They recently completed an €80 million signing for English winger Anthony Gordon and submitted a staggering €100 million bid for Atlético Madrid's Julián Álvarez, Barcelona, which was knocked back, definitively proving they can afford the Nigerian ace.