Victor Osimhen has moved to quash transfer rumours that circulated after Super Eagles head coach Éric Chelle suggested the striker was left out of Nigeria's upcoming friendlies to allow him time to sort out his club situation.

Chelle, speaking following Nigeria's Unity Cup title defence in London, confirmed that Osimhen would not feature in the friendlies against Poland and Portugal. He cited the possibility of an imminent summer move as the reason for leaving the striker at home, adding that fielding him at less than full fitness would be counterproductive.

What Chelle actually said

"For now we have two games, Poland and Portugal and I have lots of problems because some players have visa issues, players like (Samson) Tijani and (Abdullahi) Yusuf," Chelle said.

"But most importantly we miss two players because Victor Osimhen maybe he is about to change club so I prefer he stays at home because if he plays and is not at 100 percent is not good. For Lookman he is very tired and Atletico ask us to excuse him. We will travel with 18 players and we will see what happens after Poland and Portugal."

Ademola Lookman was also ruled out of the two fixtures, with Atlético Madrid requesting that the forward be excused due to fatigue.

Osimhen pushes back

Osimhen took to Instagram to address the situation directly, insisting that Chelle's words had been stripped of their original meaning and amplified well beyond their intent.

"I just got off the phone with coach Eric Chelle regarding the comments about me in his recent interview. Unfortunately, his words have been taken out of context and blown out of proportion. He has great respect for Galatasaray, follows most of our games, and never intended to create any controversy."

The Galatasaray striker went on to express appreciation for Chelle and his continued involvement with the national team, while urging the public to set aside the speculation that had built up around the coach's remarks.

"I appreciate the conversation, the opportunity to represent my country, and I look forward to continuing to work with him. He is a great coach whom I respect a lot, and I kindly ask everyone to disregard the speculations surrounding this matter. Thank you for your consistent support."

Osimhen's future has been the subject of intense scrutiny heading into the summer transfer window, with the Nigerian international on loan at Galatasaray from Napoli. His clarification appears aimed at cooling tensions and refocusing attention on matters on the pitch.