Nigerian Striker Has Rejected A Move To Arsenal: Should The Gunners Still Insist On Him? | OneFootball

Victor Osimhen is once again one of the most talked-about names of the summer transfer window. The Nigerian striker has made it clear that he does not want to stay at Napoli, where his relationship with the board broke down irreversibly more than a year ago.

His departure last summer did not materialise, leading the Italian club to loan him out to Galatasaray. In Turkey, Osimhen found continuity and prominence, which has reawakened the interest of several European clubs. Among them, three Premier League giants: Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea.

Victor Osimhen Has Rejected a Move to Arsenal

According to Sabah, via Sport Witness, the 26-year-old has ruled out negotiations with Arsenal and Manchester United, at least for now. However, he is still in contact with Chelsea, who have been tracking him for some time.

Despite this apparent lack of interest from the Nigerian, the Londoners are not giving up hope. Mikel Arteta needs a reliable striker with a nose for goals to reinforce a project that is still close to winning trophies but has not managed to complete them. The search for a “9” continues, and Osimhen, despite his position, is still on the table.

Opinion:

But should Arsenal insist on a player who has already shown a preference for another destination? Strategically, forcing a negotiation for someone who shows no real enthusiasm could backfire. The club have shown themselves to be patient and selective in its recent signings. Moreover, other interesting profiles on the market could be better suited to Arteta’s system.

However, the 37 goals in 41 games for Galatasaray cannot be ignored. Although the Turkish league is of a lower standard than the English league, to perform in such a way speaks of a competitive mentality that Arsenal have long been looking for in their attack. Gabriel Jesus has been far from a high-figure striker, and the need for a goalscorer is clear if the club are to break the drought of major silverware.

Is Osimhen that striker? He could be. He has power, pace, presence in the box and a voracious hunger for goal. But there are also doubts. His injury record and his behaviour with Napoli will not go unnoticed in London. Added to that is the high cost of the transfer, which could condition other key deals.

Arsenal must assess whether it is worth entering into an uncertain bid or whether it is better to turn to more realistic alternatives, without wasting time on a transfer that seems to be leaning towards Stamford Bridge.