---
title: "Tottenham dealt massive blow in race for ‘complete’ £65m striker"
canonical: "https://readtottenham.com/2026/08/12/tottenham-dealt-massive-blow-in-race-for-complete-65m-striker/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Vishal Subramanian"
section: "Tottenham News"
published: "2026-08-12T14:03:37Z"
modified: "2026-08-12T14:03:40Z"
---

# Tottenham dealt massive blow in race for ‘complete’ £65m striker

**Tottenham Hotspur fans are waiting for that elusive attacking signing, but at this point, it looks like it may never come.**

[Contrasting reports have emerged about Folarin Balogun](https://readtottenham.com/2026/08/12/priority-fabrizio-romanos-tottenham-transfer-claim-completely-refuted-by-journalist/) in recent hours as we wait to understand if the former Arsenal striker is indeed a concrete target for the Lilywhites.

Talks are ongoing to sign Savinho, while links with Cody Gakpo have gone cold in recent weeks.

And now, it appears as if another one of their targets could be headed elsewhere.

## Tottenham target Victor Osimhen wanted by Al Hilal

[Osimhen was linked with a move to Tottenham](https://readtottenham.com/2026/08/02/tottenham-want-to-sign-osimhen-manchester-united-chelsea/) after Roberto De Zerbi spoke about a transfer ‘bomba’ in late July.

However, [Sky Sports CH](https://www.sky-sport.ch/fr/articles/exclusif-al-hilal-se-renseigne-pour-victor-osimhen-galatasaray-ouvre-la-porte/) report that the Nigerian striker has emerged as a target for Al Hilal, who are willing to offload Karim Benzema to make the deal happen.

[We relayed claims on Read Tottenham that Galatasaray value Osimhen at £65m](https://readtottenham.com/2026/08/02/tottenham-want-to-sign-osimhen-manchester-united-chelsea/), which Al Hilal are willing to pay.

An excerpt from the article reads: “According to our information, the Saudi club has made contact to inquire about the conditions of a potential transfer.

> ✅🔴🟡 After receiving the approach from Al-Hilal, confirming our information from this morning on [@SkySportCH](https://x.com/SkySportCH?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw), Galatasaray responded to the Saudi club that they have no intention of selling Victor Osimhen. More to follow. [#mercato](https://x.com/hashtag/mercato?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) [#SPL](https://x.com/hashtag/SPL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) [pic.twitter.com/3k8k0tnVu9](https://t.co/3k8k0tnVu9)
>
> — Sacha Tavolieri (@sachatavolieri) [August 12, 2026](https://x.com/sachatavolieri/status/2087524136931205485?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

“For its part, Galatasaray is not ruling out the departure of its striker and would be willing to sell him for a fee of 65 million euros.

“The deal, however, remains contingent on the player’s willingness. Al Hilal must now convince Victor Osimhen to accept a move to Saudi Arabia.”

It remains to be seen if the Saudi Pro League side manage to convince Osimhen. For Tottenham, though, this should serve as a wake-up call if they are serious about securing his signature this summer.

[Luciano Spalletti has described Osimhen as a ‘complete’ striker](https://readtottenham.com/2026/08/02/tottenham-want-to-sign-osimhen-manchester-united-chelsea/) and his CV and goalscoring record are fantastic, so he could be a great option for the Lilywhites.