Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly cooled their interest in Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen and opened talks with AS Monaco for Nigerian-born forward Folarin Balogun.

The development comes as Spurs reassess their attacking options, with Osimhen’s reported price tag and recent on-field controversy adding further uncertainty to a potential move.
Tottenham had identified Osimhen as a potential statement signing as they look to rebuild following a difficult 2025/26 campaign. The North London club finished 17th in the Premier League and only secured their top-flight status on the final day, prompting a major recruitment drive.

Spurs have already 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 was reportedly among the 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.

The Nigerian’s recent behaviour during pre-season may also have added another talking point.

During Galatasaray’s 2-1 friendly defeat to Villarreal, Osimhen became involved in an altercation with Santiago Mourino after the defender blocked his run inside the box. The striker shoved Mourino to the ground before teammates intervened.

Although Osimhen had scored in the match, the incident drew criticism and added to scrutiny surrounding the Nigerian.

Tottenham have now reportedly turned their attention to Balogun, with L’Équipe reporting that discussions with Monaco have already begun.

The 25-year-old joined Monaco from Arsenal in 2023 and has become an established Ligue 1 striker. He scored 19 goals in 45 appearances across all competitions last season and is reportedly valued at around €60 million.

Born in New York to Nigerian parents, Balogun represents the United States internationally and featured at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

His tournament included controversy after a red-card suspension was overturned ahead of the United States’ Round of 16 defeat to Belgium.

For Tottenham, Balogun could provide a more financially manageable alternative to Osimhen while still offering significant Premier League experience and attacking potential.

With Monaco open to discussions, Spurs may now be preparing to move on from their pursuit of Osimhen and make Balogun their preferred striker target.

Italian media outlet football-italia reports that Jesus has approved Napoli as a potential next destination, but Napoli must first sell Lukaku, and also offload Lorenzo-Luca or Noah-Lang, before they can make an official offer to Arsenal and the Brazilian striker.

Napoli currently has three senior center-forwards, but as it stands, only Højlund is confirmed to remain until the end of the summer window.

Lukaku is close to leaving, with Fenerbahçe and MLS teams interested in him. La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Napoli has lowered their initial €12 million asking price for the 33-year-old, and may accept offers between €7 million and €8 million. Lukaku is Belgium’s all-time leading scorer.

On the other hand, Lorenzo-Luca failed to prove himself after joining from Udinese last summer, and his loan spell at Nottingham Forest in the second half of the 2025-26 season was a disaster – he was dropped from the first team after only 4 Premier League appearances. His future at the Maradona Stadium is also bleak.

This has led Napoli to search for a new center-forward to rotate with and compete for Højlund’s starting spot.

With his contract with Arsenal entering its final year, and his pecking order at the Emirates Stadium falling further each summer, Jesus has become a hot target for Napoli.

Jesus shares agent Giovanni Branchini with Napoli coach Allegri, who recently appeared at Napoli’s pre-season training camp.

According to the latest news from La Gazzetta dello Sport, Jesus has approved Napoli as a potential next destination, but has not yet received an official offer from the club. Napoli still needs to first offload Lukaku, and also clear out Luca or Noah-Lang, to free up the necessary budget and squad space.

Messi’s mother, Celia Cuccittini, broke her silence for the first time after the death of her husband, Jorge Messi, sharing a message filled with grief through a journalist.

According to La Capital, the message was read by journalist Marina Calabró on the Argentine América TV program with Celia’s permission. In the message sent to the journalist, Celia wrote: “I only pray to God to help me face all this as best I can.”