Arsenal join Manchester United and Chelsea in race to sign highly rated Premier League striker – Reports
Arsenal are allegedly set to battle it out with Manchester United and Chelsea in the race to sign Brighton & Hove Albion striker Evan Ferguson.
According to Fichajes.net, the Gunners have identified Ferguson as a top offensive target. They are believed to be hoping to add the teenager to their ranks to provide competition to starting striker Gabriel Jesus.
However, Manchester United and Chelsea are also in the mix. Both the clubs have struggled in front of goal in the recent times despite roping in Rasmus Hojlund and Nicolas Jackson respectively in the summer.
The Red Devils, who signed Hojlund from Atalanta in a potential £72 million switch, are reportedly prepared to break the bank to snap up Ferguson. They are willing to lodge a bid in the region of £48 million to sign the Arsenal-linked attacker ahead of the upcoming 2024-25 season.
Ferguson, 19, has established himself as a vital member of Brighton's squad since the start of last campaign. He has scored 15 goals and laid out four assists in 2064 minutes of action, across 43 appearances.
A right-footed complete striker blessed with pace, shooting and heading, Ferguson has opened the ongoing 2023-24 season on a good note. He has netted five times in seven Premier League starts, including a first senior hattrick in a 3-1 victory over Newcastle United in September.
Manchester United and Arsenal target likely to prefer move to Chelsea, claims journalist
Speaking to the London is Blue podcast, famed reporter Nizaar Kinsella shared his two cents on Napoli striker Victor Osimhen's future amid interest from Chelsea and Arsenal. He said (h/t Football365):
"It's a bad market for strikers in January and Osimhen is the one that everyone wants. There's no point in getting another young one now. He'd be a great fit and Chelsea like him. Osimhen likes them as well, I had the information for a little while. He's always loved them, loved [Didier] Drogba. They've got some similarities."
Claiming that the Manchester United target would prefer a permanent move to the west London outfit in the coming months, Kinsella added:
"He'd be interested in Manchester United, but they're not going to sign a striker. It's basically Chelsea, Arsenal and Spurs competing in the battleground and Osimhen would probably pick the former."
Osimhen, 24, has reportedly been linked with a transfer away from Napoli owing to a recent debacle over a few derogatory TikTok videos. He has also drawn attention from the likes of Liverpool and Real Madrid, as per multiple reports, apart from the aforesaid Premier League giants.
Earlier past season, the 27-cap Nigeria international cemented himself as a world-class striker after guiding Napoli to the Serie A title. He registered 31 goals and five assists in 39 overall matches for his club.