Arsenal are stepping up their effort to sign Nigerian centre-forward Victor Osimhen from Galatasaray this summer, according to Sébastien Denis.
Chelsea heavily courted Osimhen in the summer of 2024, but the move ultimately failed to materialise after the Blues and Napoli reportedly failed to agree on the terms of a potential transfer.
The Nigerian subsequently made a big-money switch to Galatasaray, where he immediately made his presence felt. Despite arriving in Turkey three weeks after the Süper Lig season had already begun, Osimhen finished the 2024-25 campaign as the division’s leading scorer with 26 goals, earning the Gol Kralı award in the process.
His prolific form continued into the following season, with the striker registering 30 goal contributions across all competitions. Ten of those came in just ten UEFA Champions League appearances, further underlining his quality in both domestic and European competitions and drawing keen interest from major clubs.
Osimhen could yet again become a subject of Premier League interest, as Sébastien Denis reports that Arsenal are stepping up efforts to sign the 27-year-old.
Arteta wants Osimhen
The French journalist adds that the Gunners’ boss, Mikel Arteta, has requested the 6ft 1in centre-forward as his priority target, and the club are optimistic they can complete the deal before the transfer window closes.
While Galatasaray have not placed a valuation on Osimhen, the 26-time Turkish champions are looking to recoup the initial £70m fee they paid to sign him, Denis adds.
The Nigerian international first announced himself on the international stage with Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets, winning the U17 World Cup Golden Boot after producing a record-breaking ten-goal haul. Since then, the striker has maintained an extraordinary scoring record that places him among the most prolific forwards in European football, and it’s no surprise he is described as ‘phenomenal’ by former Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti.
His first season with Lille saw him finish as the club’s fourth-highest scorer before taking his goalscoring exploits to another level at Napoli. The Nigerian claimed the Serie A Golden Boot in 2022-23 after finding the net 26 times, then matched that tally the following campaign to finish as the Turkish Süper Lig’s leading scorer.
Even though compatriot Paul Onuachu finished above him in the scoring standings last season, Osimhen still managed to score 22 goals despite enduring an injury-hit campaign.
With the club showing interest in Osimhen, it’ll be interesting to see what the plan is for Viktor Gyokeres, whose 21 goals were the most from any Arsenal player last season.
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