Romano Dismisses Osimhen-Barcelona Transfer Rumors

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has shot down reports linking Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen with a potential move to Barcelona.

Osimhen, who recently joined Turkish champions Galatasaray, has made an impressive start to his time in Istanbul, scoring six goals in nine games, which fueled speculation about renewed interest from top European clubs, including the Catalan giants.

However, speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano clarified the situation. He acknowledged that Barcelona is indeed looking for options to eventually replace veteran striker Robert Lewandowski, whose contract is up in 2026.

“For sure Barcelona are looking for strikers for 2026 that’s important to say because [Robert] Lewandowski is out of contract and has concrete chances of leaving the club on a free... So Barcelona are looking for strikers," Romano stated.

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Crucially, Romano stressed that despite this planning, there have been no discussions with the Nigerian forward. “But at the moment, Osimhen is not negotiating or talking with any club," he confirmed.

Romano explained that it's normal for big clubs to make early inquiries as part of their long-term transfer strategy. "Barcelona internally are following several strikers' situations to be informed, making some calls to understand the potential markets for the strikers," he said, adding, “Barcelona are not negotiating for Osimhen today... and Osimhen is focused on Galatasaray. That's very important to say. Barcelona are just trying to understand the strikers.”

Before his move to Galatasaray, the Super Eagles star was linked with clubs like Chelsea, Manchester United, and Paris Saint-Germain.