"He’s fast, and he has an eye for goal" - Pundit urges Arsenal to sign Manchester United target this summer
Former Arsenal youth academy player Jay Bothroyd has urged the Gunners to sign Manchester United-target Victor Osimhen this summer.
The Gunners spent £45 million to sign Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City in January and have Eddie Nketiah as a backup. Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli can play out wide and centrally.
Bothroyd, though, isn't convinced by Arsenal's options up front. He wants them to go and sign Osimhen, who's reportedly a target for the Red Devils. The former Cardiff City forward told FourFourTwo (via The Boot Room):
"I would say we need a striker. I look at Arsenal now, and I see Martinelli, Jesus and Saka. Saka is one of the best wingers in the world, and Jesus, as much as he’s good for Arsenal, his best work comes from the wide areas.
He added:
"He doesn’t convince me he can score 20 Premier League goals every year. Even at City, he didn’t do it. We need an out-and-out goalscorer; for me, I would like to see Osimhen come from Napoli; he’s strong; he’s powerful, good link-up play; he’s fast, and he has an eye for goal."
According to Italian outlet Tuttomercatoweb.com, Napoli are holding out for a huge fee of €160 million (£139 million) for Osimhen. Manchester United, Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain are believed to be chasing the Nigeria international.
Rio Ferdinand warns Manchester United over signing Arsenal-target
Rio Ferdinand has warned Manchester United that Victor Osimhen, who has also been linked with Arsenal, isn't guaranteed to succeed in the Premier League.
The Nigerian striker won the Ligue 1 title with Lille and fired Napoli to the Scudetto this term with 23 goals and five assists in 30 Serie A games. However, Ferdinand is unsure if he would transfer that success to the Premier League.
The former Manchester United centre-back said on his YouTube channel (via Metro):
"He’s 24-years-old, scored goals in France and Italy. Won the league (in Italy) and knows how to win leagues. He’s been a No.9 at a dominant team. Is that transferable to the Premier League? No-one knows that. That’s the chance United would have to take on him."
He added:
"That’s the only risk I see. He doesn’t know the league. Ability-wise and profile, he ticks every box, but there is an unknown factor. Can he adapt?"
Manchester United saw Edinson Cavani and Cristiano Ronaldo depart last year and did not sign a permanent replacement for them. Wout Weghorst's six-month loan deal from Burnley expires this summer as well.