Arsenal hold initial talks to sign 24-year-old Manchester United transfer target next summer - Reports
Arsenal have reportedly held talks to sign striker Victor Osimhen from Napoli next summer. The Gunners have already started planning for next season and have set sights on the player, who is reportedly also a Manchester United target.
As per a report in the Football Transfers, the Gunners are looking to bolster their attack next summer and see Osimhen as the ideal choice. Mikel Arteta's side spent big to sign Declan Rice earlier this summer and are ready to break the bank again.
Arsenal have Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah in their squad but are looking to add a forward who can guarantee them 25 goals a season. Arteta sees the Napoli star as the perfect solution and is pushing the Gunners to make a move for the former Lille star.
UK TV personality and an Arsenal fan, Piers Morgan was delighted with the signing of Declan Rice earlier this summer and urged the Gunners to sign Osinhem too. He tweeted:
"It's brilliant that Arsenal seem to have won the race to sign Declan Rice, who will be a monstrously good addition to the team. But if we want to win big trophies, we also need a world-class striker who will score 25-plus goals a season. I'd break the bank for Victor Osimhen."
The striker was linked with a move away from Serie A this summer with Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Chelsea interested. However, Napoli reportedly slapped a stunning £200 million price tag on the Nigerian, which forced the club to end interest.
Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal were also keen and reportedly tabled a £197 million (€230m) bid. However, Osimhen rejected the move.
Victor Osimhen previously turned down a move to Arsenal
Victor Osimhen revealed in an interview earlier this year that he rejected a chance to join Arsenal. He claimed that the Gunners offered him a deal and Arsene Wenger spoke to him to get the deal done.
However, he opted against the move as the London club were not ideal for him at that time and he moved to Wolfsburg. He told CentreGoals:
"I spoke with Arsene Wenger, and he wanted me to come to Arsenal, but it was not the best option at the time."
Osimhen has scored 62 goals in 103 matches for Napoli after getting 18 goals in 38 matches for Lille.