According to reports, Arsenal have made a move to sign Napoli striker Victor Osimhen this summer. The Nigerian forward is one of the potential targets for the Gunners in the upcoming transfer window and could be the man to lead their frontline next season.
Gabriel Jesus is the prime target for the North London side and the club have already held talks with the player’s agent. However, due to the failure to replace Pierre-Emerick Aubamyang and the uncertainty over the future of Alexandre Lacazette as his contract expires next month, the Gunners have broadened their horizons to look for firepower to power them through the next season.
Napoli spent £68 million to sign the forward from LOSC Lille in what was seen as an expensive signing by many critics. But it turned out to be a roaring success as the young Nigerian has scored 28 goals in 62 appearances for the Gli Azzurri (stats via Transfermarkt). The 23-year-old joined Napoli at the beginning of the 20-21 season and had impressed instantly after scoring two consecutive hat-tricks in the pre-season friendlies.
According to Goal, Arsenal have begun talks to secure the services of Victor Osimhen from Napoli this summer. The report states that Osimhen’s agent flew down to London last week to discuss a potential move for the player with Arsenal’s technical director, Edu.
Nevertheless, Arsenal are well aware that it will be an uphill battle to price Victor Osimhen away from Napoli. The Italian club’s president, Aurelio de Laurentiis, is known to be a tough negotiator and he would be looking for a significant amount of money to make up for the fee the club spent on signing the player.
Of course, Osimhen remains a worthy option to lead the lines at Arsenal. He mainly operates as a centre-forward. Standing at 6 feet tall, Victor is a strong and modern number 9 who is known for his strong hold-up and link-up play. He’s the sort of striker that looks to progress the ball further into spaces and can receive balls well with his back to goal.
Talks with Gabriel Jesus are far from over as the club and player have been in contact for weeks now. Talks have progressed positively and it is understood that the Gunners have already submitted an initial bid of £42 million to Manchester City which was rejected right away as the Cityzens believe the price to be low for their striker.
Moreover, with Tottenham joining the fray in the Gabriel Jesus transfer saga as well, it is uncertain whether Arsenal can be confident about their chances to sign the Brazillian, especially since their North London rivals have managed to secure Champions League football. That is exactly why we have seen the Gunners being linked with so many options to solve their attacking woes.
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While it is understandable that Arsenal are looking at many alternatives for a frontline signing given the Jesus situation hangs taut, the players they are eyeing might not possess the calibre to lead the lines at the Emirates Stadium. While Osimhen has impressed in Italy, it is important to note that he is still 23 and has never had 15+ goals in a single Serie A season.
A club like Arsenal should ideally be fixating on a marquee signing with significant Premier League experience and/or a couple of seasons with high volume goals under their belt to be deemed worthy of being the team’s main striker, aspects that Victor Osimhen does not possess.
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