“They need a player with that pedigree” - William Gallas names 25-year-old star as player Arsenal must sign in January transfer window
Former Arsenal defender William Gallas has urged the Gunners to sign Victor Osimhen in the January transfer window. He said that the north London side need a 'world-class striker' like Osimhen.
The Gunners have been linked with different strikers over the last two seasons now but have yet to make a signing in that area. They also sold Eddie Nketiah to Crystal Palace in the summer but didn't sign a replacement. Kai Havertz has primarily operated as a striker for the side with Gabriel Jesus being his backup.
While Havertz has scored four goals in 11 Premier League appearances this season, Jesus has yet to open his account. Hence, William Gallas has urged manager Mikel Arteta to try to sign Osimhen, as he told Goal:
“If I could sign one player for Arsenal in January, it would be a world-class striker… I wanted to speak about Osimhen because I know he’s at Galatasaray, and I still don’t understand why he’s there. That’s the type of profile Arsenal need. They need a player with that pedigree.
“Maybe he won’t score 20 goals in the season, but he will scare defenders, he will give them a hard time, and that will give the opportunity for players around him to score goals.”
"Arsenal doesn't have that player at the moment. When you look at Gabriel Jesus, he's not really fit, he doesn't play. Looks like he's not happy. Sterling doesn't play. Havertz, up and down, up and down. You need more consistency."
Osimhen has been linked with a transfer away from Napoli since last summer and was heavily linked with a move to Chelsea. However, he ended up joining Galatasaray on a season-long loan. He has scored eight goals and provided four assists in nine goals for the Turkish giants so far.
A look at Arsenal's 2024-25 season so far
The Gunners came into the 2024-25 season on the back of another trophyless campaign last time out. However, they inched closer to the Premier League title, missing out by just two points against Manchester City. They will be eager to lift the title this time around but have had an inconsistent season so far.
Arsenal sit fourth in the Premier League table after 11 games, nine points behind leaders Liverpool. They are four points behind second-placed Manchester City and level with third-placed Chelsea but behind on goal difference. They have already drawn four games this season while they drew five league games in the entire 2023-24 campaign.
In the UEFA Champions League, meanwhile, the Gunners occupy 12th place in the league-stage table. They have seven points after four games with two wins, one draw, and one defeat. They are just two points behind the direct qualification spot (8th). They will face Sporting CP (A), AS Monaco (H), Dinamo Zagreb (H), and Girona (A) in their remaining Champions League league-stage fixtures.
Arsenal have also reached the EFL Cup quarter-finals, where they will host Crystal Palace on December 18.