Arsenal Eye Victor Osimhen as Centre-Forward Option
Arsenal are weighing up a move for Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen as their search for a new centre-forward intensifies, with Manchester United stepping away from the race due to cost.
Mikel Arteta’s side poured £64million into Viktor Gyokeres last summer, but the hunt for a ruthless No 9 has not stopped. At the top of their wishlist sits Julian Alvarez, who has informed Atletico Madrid he wants out in pursuit of major honours such as the Champions League and Ballon d’Or.
There is a problem. Alvarez has his heart set on Barcelona. On top of that, Atletico are demanding upwards of €200m (£171m) for the Argentina international. That combination has forced Arsenal to look elsewhere.
Osimhen is one of the names now being seriously discussed at London Colney. The Nigerian has long dreamed of playing in the Premier League, and, according to TEAMtalk, both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have been holding internal talks over a potential swoop.
United, long-term admirers of the striker, have cooled their interest. The numbers involved are simply too big for them at this stage, removing one heavyweight from the equation and nudging the door open for a north London battle.
Nothing is close. No bids, no advanced talks, just groundwork and strategy at this point. But the prospect of Osimhen leading the line for either Arsenal or Spurs would be one of the stories of the window.
Reports in recent weeks have floated the idea that the 27-year-old could be available for as little as €65m (£55.5m). That figure feels optimistic from a buying club’s perspective. Galatasaray are expected to hold out for something far nearer £100m, a price more in line with his status as one of Europe’s premier centre-forwards.
Osimhen is under contract for another three years, which hands the Turkish champions significant leverage. They do not need to sell, and they know it.
The transfer fee is only half the battle. His wages are another major hurdle. TEAMtalk’s report notes that Osimhen is seeking around £400,000 per week to make the jump to England. Those demands were a key reason his proposed move to Chelsea in 2024 collapsed, and they would stretch even the most ambitious wage structures in north London.
For Arsenal, the question is obvious: with Gyokeres already in place, is another huge outlay on a centre-forward really the smartest play?
Sporting director Andrea Berta may be better served funnelling resources towards a new left winger for Arteta instead. That area has already caused frustration this summer. Arsenal have missed out on both Morgan Rogers and Vinicius Junior, while their interest in Bradley Barcola is being tested by Liverpool, who currently lead the race for the Frenchman.
If Barcola slips away as well, Arsenal will have to accelerate alternative plans. Nico Williams, Kenan Yildiz and Iliman Ndiaye are all under consideration as wide options.
So the dilemma sharpens: double down on the dream of an elite No 9 in Osimhen at enormous cost, or pivot hard towards the flanks and trust Gyokeres to carry the load through the middle as the season’s ambitions harden into reality.
