Osimhen ready to start season with Galatasaray amid interest from Tottenham

Victor Osimhen demonstrated his increasing physical readiness for the upcoming season by opening the scoring in Galatasaray’s entertaining 3-3 pre-season draw against French side Stade Rennais.

The Nigeria international headed home a Gabriel Sara cross just 18 minutes into the fixture in Istanbul, signalling his growing match fitness amid speculation surrounding his club future.

While the Super Eagles striker made an early impact, he was ultimately outperformed on the day by Rennes forward Estéban Lepaul.

The French attacker stole the show with a clinical hat-trick, which included a precise 27th-minute equaliser and a second-half penalty, earning him a 9.3 match rating.

Lepaul’s dominant pre-season display serves as a continuation of his prolific domestic form, having notably registered 21 goals during the recent Ligue 1 campaign.

Galatasaray eventually fought back to secure a 3-3 draw, concluding a balanced friendly where Rennes created more big chances but the Turkish champions commanded the majority of possession.

Amid his preseason preparation, there remains a significant possibility that Osimhen will not feature for Galatasaray in competitive fixtures this season.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly pursuing a transfer for the prolific marksman, and the player is said to be open to a blockbuster move to North London.

An exit would bring a premature end to his tenure in Turkey following his permanent transfer from Napoli in the summer of 2025.