Spurs drop their interest in Osimhen and now turn their attention to Folarin Balogun

ENGLISH Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspurs have rescinded their interest in signing Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen following his recent altercation with an opponent in a pre-season game and have switched their attention to Folarin Balogun.

Earlier this month, Spurs were keen on signing Osimhen, regarded by many as the best striker in the world at the moment. During the current transfer window, Spurs have invested heavily, signing Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United, Mateus Fernandes from West Ham and Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton, while Andrew Robertson and Marcos Senesi have arrived as free agents.

Osimhen, 27, was among the club's attacking targets but Galatasaray’s determination to retain their star striker and the substantial fee required to prise him away from Turkey have made the deal increasingly difficult. With this latest altercation, Spurs have decided to walk away from the deal and turn their attention to Nigerian-born Monaco striker Folarin Balogun instead.

During Galatasaray’s recent 1-2 loss to Spanish side Villarreal in a pre-season friendly, Osimhen became involved in an altercation with Santiago Mourino after the defender blocked his run inside the box. Although Osimhen had scored in the match, the incident drew criticism and added to scrutiny surrounding the Nigerian striker.

Tottenham have now reportedly turned their attention to Balogun, with L’Équipe reporting that discussions with Monaco have already begun. Balogun, 25,  joined Monaco from Arsenal in 2023 and has become an established Ligue One striker, scoring 19 goals in 45 appearances across all competitions last season and is reportedly valued at around €60m.

Born in New York to Nigerian parents, Balogun represents the United States internationally and featured for them at the 2026 Fifa World Cup. His tournament involved a major controversy after a red-card suspension was overturned ahead of a Round of 16 defeat to Belgium after President Donald Trump intervened and got the Fifa president to rescind the card.