Atlético Rejects €75m Osimhen Deal, Backs Álvarez
Atlético Madrid have been offered one of Europe’s most explosive strikers. They’ve walked away.
Victor Osimhen, the 27-year-old Galatasaray forward and Nigeria’s leading man, was put on the table for Atlético through intermediaries in a deal worth around €75 million, according to Club Uria. On paper, it looked like the kind of headline move that could reshape a season. In reality, the door at the Metropolitano stayed firmly shut.
Money tight, trust intact
Atlético’s answer was clear: no. Not a negotiation tactic. Not a “come back later.” A straight refusal.
The club’s stance rests on two pillars. First, the finances. Atlético simply do not have the cash flow to execute such a high-profile operation in this window. The fee is heavy, the wages would be significant, and the club’s current economic framework leaves little room for that kind of gamble.
Second, and just as decisive, is Julián Álvarez.
The Argentine occupies that central attacking role Osimhen would demand. Inside the club, there is no appetite to disturb that hierarchy. The Metropolitano leadership are fully committed to Álvarez, see him as a cornerstone of the project, and are not entertaining any sale. In that context, paying €75m for another starting No 9 makes no sporting sense.
Osimhen, for all his quality, becomes a luxury. And Atlético are not in a position to shop for luxuries.
A striker willing to bend for Simeone
What makes this rejection more striking is how far Osimhen was reportedly prepared to go to make the move happen.
The Nigerian was willing to accept a wage cut to join Atlético, a significant concession given his current package at Galatasaray. In Turkey, his net income is boosted by tax exemptions for foreign residents, making his salary particularly attractive. He is under contract in Istanbul until 2029, a long-term deal that puts Galatasaray in a position of strength.
Yet he was ready to reduce his earnings to work under Diego Simeone.
That willingness underlines the depth of his admiration for the Atlético coach. After facing Simeone’s side in the Champions League in January, Osimhen spoke openly about his respect for the club and its manager, praising their aggressive style, clear identity, and the consistency that comes from a coach who has been in charge for so many years. Drawing against Atlético, he said at the time, was a sign his own team were on the right path.
Those words now read like the preface to a move that never came.
Despite that enthusiasm, Atlético’s position has not shifted. The project may appeal to Osimhen, but the numbers and the squad structure do not appeal to Atlético. The Spanish side are standing firm: no deal at €75m, no room for another star centre-forward.
Market circling as Premier League clubs test the waters
Atlético are not alone in being sounded out. Osimhen’s name is circulating across Europe.
Intermediaries have also offered him to Barcelona, Arsenal, and Tottenham as Galatasaray explore what the market might bear for one of their prime assets. Of that group, Tottenham have gone the furthest. Spurs have already lodged a concrete offer in excess of €55m.
It still isn’t enough.
That bid falls well short of Galatasaray’s asking price, which remains anchored around the €75m mark floated to Atlético. For now, the Turkish champions are holding their line, aware they possess a forward in his prime, on a long contract, with multiple elite clubs at least listening.
With Atlético out of the race due to financial limits and their unwavering trust in Álvarez, the picture narrows. Osimhen’s camp will keep talking, keep pushing, and keep testing Europe’s elite to see who blinks first.
The striker has already shown he’s willing to sacrifice to land the move he wants. The question now is which club believes he’s worth going all the way to meet Galatasaray’s price.
