Arsenal should not be ruled out in the race to land Chelsea target Victor Osimhen’s signature during the upcoming summer transfer window, and they are willing to meet his £250,000 per-week demands.
That’s according to transfer expert Ben Jacobs (via GIVEMESPORT), who expects a heated battle for Napoli striker Victor Osimhen’s services in the summer. The Gunners are among the frontrunners to sign the Nigerian international and are ready to meet his substantial wage demands alongside powerhouses Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain.
The Nigerian international has been a world-class performer during his time in Naples. Having netted 26 goals in 32 Serie A matches last season to fire Napoli to a long-awaited league title, the 25-year-old striker has scored nine goals in the ongoing season in 19 appearances across all competitions and provided three assists.
However, one imagines he will surely be moving elsewhere this summer, as it’s going to be very difficult for Napoli to keep their star player after a hugely underwhelming defence of their Scudetto this season.
Despite recently signing a contract extension with Napoli, he looks set to depart Naples with multiple top European clubs chasing his signature.
Chelsea, for one, have been long-time admirers of the Napoli marksman. The Blues’ have spent over £1 billion since a Todd Boehly-led consortium took over the club in May 2022, but they are yet to find a prolific striker.
Paris Saint-Germain are the latest side to join the race following Kylian Mbappe’s decision to leave France at the end of the season. The Nigerian is being seen as the ideal candidate to replace the French superstar’s output upfront.
Arsenal emerge as strong candidates in the Victor Osimhen race.
However, Jacobs insists that Arsenal’s candidancy for Osimhen should not be dismissed despite the fact that Chelsea appears to have an edge, and PSG also aggressively eyeing the Nigerian forward. The Super Eagles striker is seeking an estimated weekly salary of around £250,000, a figure deemed acceptable by all three clubs vying for his services.
Jacobs said to GMS: “We still can’t rule out Arsenal in the race for Osimhen. It’s also true that PSG have Osimhen very, very high on their list of targets and can move in the market because they will free up money due to Kylian Mbappe’s departure. I’m still told by sources that Osimhen’s priority is the Premier League, which is encouraging for Chelsea and Arsenal. He would be looking for about £250,000 per week, which Arsenal, Chelsea and PSG would all be happy to pay.”
Despite a generally positive campaign in the Premier League, a number of pundits and former players have doubted Arsenal’s ability to win the Premier League title this season, with just Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah as their striker options.
However, Mikel Arteta is also looking to bring in a new striker in the summer. If they can sign a world class attacking player like Osimhen, it could be a real game changer for them, and they will make sure they can continue competing for top honours in the near future.
Any of the English Premier League clubs would be a good choice