Barcelona have had their full attention on completing a deal for Manchester City midfielder Rodri, yet are still trying to work out what to do at centre-forward.
Their pursuit of top target Julian Alvarez has been proving difficult - and the number of top-level options on the market is limited.
Osimhen could be an intriguing name to watch as the transfer window enters its final two weeks.
The Nigeria international is at Galatasaray, and the Turkish club have no intention of selling him. They do not want to lose one of the most prolific strikers in European football. But Osimhen's own ambitions could make this an interesting situation if the right opportunity emerges.
He is very highly paid at Galatasaray, where he is considered a star, but figures close to the striker say he could be open to another chapter at a top club in one of Europe's major leagues. A move to Barcelona, in particular, would be highly appealing.
There is nothing concrete between Barcelona and Osimhen at this stage. But Barcelona's striker search could change the equation.
The club have been focused on Alvarez, but Atletico Madrid have been reluctant to entertain his departure. Barca have not given up yet, but the end of this week may prove to be a time when they decide to move on if no breakthrough is found.
Barcelona have also been linked with Viktor Gyokeres, although Arsenal do not currently intend to sell him. There has been some consideration of returning to Marcus Rashford late in the window, too.
The list of realistic options is short, and Osimhen is a proven goalscorer, with experience at the highest level.
The financials would be complicated. His salary is significant, and Galatasaray do not intend to put him up for sale. There is no obvious reason for the Turkish club to make life easy for Barcelona.
But this is where the final weeks of a transfer window can become unpredictable.
Arsenal's interest in Osimhen last week is a good example.
His name emerged during talks involving Gabriel Martinelli. Galatasaray were interested in the Arsenal winger and, as the two clubs discussed the situation, Osimhen's name naturally entered the conversation.
Arsenal are looking for a forward, so sporting director Andrea Berta briefly entertained the possibility of understanding Osimhen's situation. Sources say, however, that Berta was never deeply interested in pursuing the striker and there has been no progress.
It was more a case of an opportunity presenting itself and Arsenal wanting to understand whether it made sense.
The tentative talks do no harm to Osimhen, who is the kind of player who could suddenly become relevant to Barcelona.
The club have a history of finding ways to make deals work when, on paper, the finances suggest they should not be possible. Osimhen's contract and salary would make this extremely difficult, but neither necessarily makes it impossible if all the other pieces fall into place.
Osimhen is not pushing to leave Galatasaray, but if Barcelona decide they need a striker and their preferred options disappear, the conversation could become very different, very quickly.
Dean Jones is a transfer news and football insider for Flashscore, since 2025. He has been a journalist on leading UK newspapers and websites over the past 20 years, establishing himself as an authoritative and trusted voice in the industry.
