Arsenal could be able to sign Victor Osimhen for just £63.2m in the January transfer window. Turkish giants, Galatasaray, have signed the striker on loan without an option to buy from Napoli. The Italian club have frozen him out and decided to move on from him. They have given his no.9 shirt to new signing Romelu Lukaku making their intentions very clear.
The Nigerian’s agent managed to include a cunning clause in this loan deal. It will allow him to exit early from Istanbul if any top European club makes a move for him in January. He was the “most wanted” striker this summer, clubs like Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and PSG were determined to get him. However, it never materialized due to his high wage demands.
The Gunners’ and the Blues’ will be gifted yet another chance to sign the 25-year old in January. His transfer fee will be lowered to a price of just £63.2m which is a much better offer. Both the London clubs wanted to sign a quality striker this summer but failed to do so. This winter, getting this deal done might be the best Christmas present they can imagine.
Napoli boss Conte made it clear that the Nigerian is not in his plans moving forward. He says;
“We made decisions. I mentioned coherence before. Those who are not consistent don’t respect the rules. I repeat, respect to the club. The president proved consistent despite losing important money, credit where credit is due.”
The most anticipating transfer saga of all time
Victor Osimhen became the world’s most expensive Nigerian player of all time when he signed for Napoli from Lille four years ago. He has scored 76 goals for the Italians since then, becoming one of the most prolific goal scorers in Europe.
He netted 31 goals in 2022-23 season when Napoli won the Scudetto after ages. The 25-year old won the African player of the year award and signed a new contract with the Italians. Later due to a childish social media post on the club’s official Tiktok mocking Osimhen disrespected the striker. Relations between the club and the player turned soon after.
The Nigerian did not turn up to the team’s training sessions and handed in a transfer request. The club agreed to sell him, as many top European clubs were ready to sign him paying a hefty fee. Chelsea and Arsenal made him their priority signing this summer.
As per Fabrizio Romano, the Blues’ did everything they could to sign him, but his high wage demands prompted them to not go ahead on the deadline day. The player refused to take a wage-cut to play for his dream club.
When he did not get any club before deadline, it was likely that he would move to Saudi club Al-Ahli. However, the striker wished to stay in Europe. Al-Ahli signed English striker, Ivan Toney, from Brentford instead and closed their pursuit of Osimhen.
His agent has urged European clubs to sign him, as it is felt that he has still plenty to offer in Europe. He says;
“It (Osimhen) is not a package to be shipped far away to make room for new prophets. Victor was elected African Footballer of the Year, eighth at the Ballon d’Or, he still has so much to do in Europe.”
Do Arsenal really need Victor Osimhen?
Arsenal have been handed a great opportunity to sign Victor Osimhen in January. However, the club might change their mind until winter arrives. Kai Havertz has become a fan favourite at the Emirates and is improving ever since he joined the club. If he continues his form, the Gunners might not be needing the services of the 25-year old Nigerian striker.
However, if he joins the Gunners, he will be a great asset to the club. He is a striker who is a huge presence inside the penalty area. His tall and physical structure makes him dangerous on air, as well as on the ground. The striker has exceptional pace and strength which helps him to be mobile and make movements difficult to track.
The 25-year old usually plays as a lone striker, often dropping deep to create space for the wingers. Mikel Arteta plays with a 4-3-3 attacking formation, Osimhen would be more dominating, and help players like Saka and Martinelli get into the free spaces. His fluid movements, would improve the team’s overall gameplay and make them quicker than before.
He is a complete forward, if he joins the Gunners it will not be a surprise if he leads them to major titles. Under a class manager like Mikel Arteta, he can take his game to the next level and might even win his dream “Ballon d’or” trophy.
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