Premier League side Chelsea have reportedly joined the list of clubs interested in signing Nigerian international Victor Osimhen from Turkish champions Galatasaray.

According to reports, Galatasaray have placed a €150 million valuation on the Super Eagles striker as interest in his services continues to grow ahead of the summer transfer window.

The latest transfer speculation comes after comments by Nigeria head coach, Eric Chelle, regarding Osimhen’s absence from the Super Eagles squad for the upcoming international friendlies against Poland and Portugal.

Explaining the striker’s omission, Chelle suggested that a possible transfer move influenced the decision.

“Victor Osimhen will not be in our friendly matches against Poland and Portugal because there may be a possibility of a club change. Therefore, I preferred him to stay at home. If your mind is not 100 percent here, going out on the field to play does not create a good situation,” Chelle said.

However, Osimhen later moved to calm the growing speculation, clarifying that the coach’s comments had been misunderstood and taken out of context.

The former Napoli forward stated that he had spoken directly with Chelle and stressed that the Malian tactician holds great respect for Galatasaray and never intended to fuel transfer rumours.

Osimhen urged fans and the public to disregard reports linking his absence from the national team to an imminent transfer, insisting that unnecessary conclusions had been drawn from the coach’s remarks.

Despite his clarification, reports linking the prolific striker with a move away from Galatasaray continue to gather momentum, with Chelsea now reportedly among the clubs monitoring his situation closely ahead of the new season.