Arsenal are showing signs of backing away from the Victor Osimhen chase as they are yet to formulate any kind of offer for the Napoli star.
According to Football Insider, Arsenal have not yet thought about formulating an offer for Napoli striker Victor Osimhen. Varied suggestions have pointed at different valuations set by the Serie A side for their 17-goal star striker. But none are acceptable to the Gunners, who might look away from the deal altogether.
Arsenal to cool Victor Osimhen interest?
Arsenal are looking for a striker, and had set their sights on Benjamin Sesko, who in turn elected to sign a contract extension with RB Leipzig. The idea behind the Slovenian’s chase might have been to bring a young forward as opposed to a more established name like Alexander Isak or Victor Osimhen.
The latter remains a player of interest to the Gunners, although they are not willing to pay his £113 million release clause in the current climate. Napoli are bent on bringing in as much as possible for their star, with the report stating that they could lower their valuation to around £90 million.
Even that seems unacceptable to the Gunners, who would reportedly consider making a move around the £70 million mark. At such a rate, Napoli will not sanction any sale of the forward, although Osimhen, who scored a sub-par 17 goals last season, remains confident of a Premier League side signing him this summer.
While there have been reports suggesting Arsenal were about to make an approach, none seems forthcoming, as the Gunners could eventually cool their interest. Mikel Arteta may need a new striker, but he may have moved away from the idea of signing a star name to his otherwise established squad.
Why did Arsenal change their striker plans?
In January, strong reports were linking Arsenal to Ivan Toney, who resembles a player who could potentially score 20-odd goals in a season to help the Gunners mount a title challenge. The emergence of Kai Havertz in the No.9 role seems to have changed Arteta’s mind, who, while wanting a new striker, does not want to shake up his current order.
Girona’s Artem Dovbyk remains a target, and Osimhen also features on their list. But the chances of signing the latter seem to be fading. The next few weeks might make it clear who Arsenal wants as their new striker. However, any move for the Napoli man may not materialise in this window, especially at the prices being quoted around in the media.
