Osimhen was ready to take a pay cut to team up with fellow Super Eagle Ademola Lookman at Atletico Madrid — but the Spanish club said no.
Victor Osimhen’s search for a way out of Galatasaray hit a wall this week. Atletico Madrid have rejected an offer to sign the Super Eagles striker for around €75 million, even after Osimhen reportedly agreed to take a wage cut to work under Diego Simeone. For Nigerian fans hoping to see two Super Eagles stars line up together in La Liga, it’s a setback — at least for now.
According to reports from Spain, intermediaries presented Atletico with the chance to sign Osimhen from Galatasaray for roughly €75 million. The club considered it but ultimately turned the offer down. Two reasons stand out: financial flexibility and squad planning. Atletico are reportedly working within tight limits this summer, and taking on a fee that size would have required major changes elsewhere in the squad.
The bigger factor, however, is Julian Alvarez. Atletico’s hierarchy see the Argentine as the player to build their attack around, and they don’t believe they need to spend heavily on a second out-and-out striker when Alvarez is already their focal point. As a result, Osimhen’s willingness to lower his own wage demands wasn’t enough to change their minds.
Lookman, already on Atletico’s books, isn’t going anywhere. The club has made clear it’s “fine” with its current forward line of Alvarez and Lookman, who can operate either wide or alongside Alvarez through the middle. That matters because Osimhen had reportedly been personally lobbying his international teammate to help persuade Galatasaray’s suitors — including, at various points, Lookman himself — to make a Turkish move. Instead, it’s Atletico’s own front line that stays untouched.
Notably, the two Super Eagles stars share a close friendship, and had Osimhen joined Atletico, the connection could have helped him settle quickly into a new dressing room. That scenario is off the table for now, though nothing in football stays closed for long once a transfer window is still open.
Galatasaray have already knocked back interest from elsewhere this summer, even as pressure mounts on Osimhen to force an exit amid a wage dispute, and he has also been linked with Tottenham, Arsenal and Chelsea in recent transfer reporting. Atletico’s rejection doesn’t end his search for a Champions League-level move — it just removes one option from the table. Meanwhile, our coverage of the wider Osimhen transfer race is following every twist in the saga, and our Super Eagles squad news round-up covers how his club future ties into Nigeria’s plans under Eric Chelle.
Two Super Eagles forwards sharing a dressing room at one of Europe’s most competitive clubs would have been a genuine talking point back home — the kind of storyline that gets discussed on Nigerian sports radio for weeks. Instead, the saga is a reminder of how little control even a proven international striker has over a move once a buying club’s internal squad planning gets in the way. Osimhen’s wage-cut offer shows real intent to leave Galatasaray; it just wasn’t enough to change Atletico’s calculations around Alvarez.
That said, this isn’t necessarily the end of the Osimhen-to-La-Liga story. Transfer positions can shift quickly once a window nears its close, particularly if a club’s own squad plans change or a rival bid forces a rethink. For now, though, Atletico’s answer is a clear no — and Lookman’s role in Madrid looks settled, at least for this window.
Did Atletico Madrid sign Victor Osimhen?
No. Atletico rejected a reported €75 million offer to sign Osimhen from Galatasaray, despite the striker offering to take a pay cut.
Why did Atletico turn down Osimhen?
Reports point to limited financial flexibility and the club’s commitment to building its attack around Julian Alvarez rather than signing a second central striker.
Is Ademola Lookman leaving Atletico Madrid?
No. Atletico have said they’re satisfied with their current forward options, including Lookman, who can play wide or through the middle alongside Alvarez.
Source: Pulse Sports Nigeria.
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