Victor Osimhen left out of Nigeria's friendlies amid transfer talks

Nigeria senior team coach Eric Chelle announced that striker Victor Osimhen and forward Ademola Lookman will not be part of the June friendlies against Poland (3 June, Warsaw) and Portugal (10 June, Leiria). Chelle said Osimhen is focusing on a possible move away from Galatasaray, stating, “Victor Osimhen maybe he is about to change club, so I prefer he stays at home because if he plays and isn’t at 100 percent it isn’t good.” The coach also cited personal, club‑request and visa issues for other absentees, including midfielders Alhassan Yusuf and Samson Tijani and forward Femi Azeez, whose club refused release.

Osimhen later posted on social media thanking Chelle and stressing his respect for Galatasaray, noting that Chelle’s comments were taken out of context. Transfer speculation links Osimhen with several European clubs, notably Manchester United and Paris Saint‑Germain, while Serie A clubs are reportedly blocked by a clause in his former Napoli contract.

Despite the missing stars, the Super Eagles, fresh from a Unity Cup triumph, will use the matches to test squad depth and prepare for future qualifiers. Chelle emphasized that the team will approach the games with full seriousness.

Key points: - Osimhen excluded to concentrate on pending transfer. - Lookman also omitted for personal reasons. - Several other players absent due to visas, injuries or club decisions. - Nigeria will field a revised squad for the friendlies. - Transfer interest includes Manchester United, PSG and Premier League sides; Serie A move is constrained by contractual clauses.