Tottenham Hotspur are preparing a formal move for Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen, positioning themselves as serious contenders for one of Europe’s most coveted forwards.

Club sources in England and Turkey indicate that Spurs have received internal “sporting approval” to open negotiations with the Turkish champions, a key green light that allows the north London side to escalate their interest from scouting to concrete talks.

Tottenham’s recruitment team view Osimhen as the missing focal point in an ambitious rebuild. Having already committed more than £230m on reinforcements across the pitch, the hierarchy believe an elite centre-forward is essential if they are to close the gap on the Premier League’s leading clubs and re-establish themselves as regular Champions League participants.

Reports suggest Spurs are readying an opening offer in the region of £65m. That figure, however, is expected to fall well short of Galatasaray’s valuation. The Istanbul club paid around €75m to sign Osimhen and have since tied him to a long-term contract running to 2029, placing a notional price tag of about €150m on their star asset.

Galatasaray officials are under no pressure to sell and are acutely aware that Osimhen’s profile and numbers give them leverage. The Nigerian international has delivered 107 goals in 145 appearances in all competitions over the last four seasons, a period in which he has become one of the most reliable scorers in European football.

His impact has been matched by silverware. Osimhen spearheaded Napoli’s charge to the Serie A title before moving to Turkey, where he has since powered Galatasaray to back-to-back Super Lig triumphs. On the continental stage, he has 16 goals in 27 Champions League games, underlining his ability to perform at the highest level.

Personal terms are not expected to be a major stumbling block, with intermediaries confident that the player would be open to a Premier League move if Galatasaray sanction a sale. Yet Osimhen has repeatedly stressed that he will only depart if the Turkish champions decide it is in their interests.

Tottenham’s interest comes amid long-standing admiration from Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea, as well as heavyweight suitors including Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Bayern Munich. Spurs must now convince Galatasaray that their bid, and their project, are compelling enough to part with one of the game’s most prolific strikers.