Osimhen Hits Brace Again, Bags Assist As Galatasaray Thrash Erzurumspor

Nigerian striker, Victor Osimhen, maintained his red-hot start to the new Süper Lig season on Friday night, scoring twice and registering an assist as defending champions Galatasaray thrashed newly promoted Erzurumspor FK 4-0 at the Kazım Karabekir Stadium.

Roland Sallai put Galatasaray ahead in the 12th minute before Osimhen provided an assist for the second goal eight minutes later, setting up Yunus Akgün. The Super Eagles striker then found the net in first-half stoppage time to give the visitors a 3-0 lead and completed his brace with 10 minutes remaining.

The performance extended Osimhen’s impressive run of league goal contributions for Galatasaray. The 27-year-old has now been directly involved in at least one goal in each of his last 14 league appearances for the Turkish champions, scoring 16 times and providing six assists.

Before his two goals and assist against Erzurumspor, Osimhen scored a brace in Galatasaray’s 2-2 draw against Çorum in their opening game at RAMS Park.

Naija News gathered that Osimhen’s form has continued to attract attention from the Premier League, with French outlet Foot Mercato reporting that Arsenal have opened talks with Galatasaray over a possible move. Mikel Arteta is said to want another proven striker who can compete with Viktor Gyokeres and add more depth to his attack.

The Nigerian recorded 30 goal contributions for Galatasaray last season and reportedly remains a player admired by the Arsenal manager. However, talks are still in the early stages, with personal terms posing a major obstacle.

Osimhen reportedly earns a net annual salary of €20 million at Galatasaray and remains under contract until 2029. Arsenal are unlikely to match those wages, which means the Nigerian could have to accept a significant pay cut if he wants to play in the Premier League.