‘nothing is advancing’: Ben Jacobs delivers update on Arsenal pursuit of 25-year-old

June 9th 2024, 8:13

Arsenal have been linked with the move for Victor Osimhen in recent months.

The Napoli striker is expected to be on the move this summer and the Gunners were keeping tabs on him. According to Ben Jacobs on Give Me Sport, Arsenal’s move for the Nigerian international is not advancing at this stage because of the asking price.

Napoli are demanding a premium for the 25-year-old striker and Arsenal are looking at other options now. Jacobs claims that Benjamin Sesko, Evan Ferguson and Viktor Gyokeres are options for Arsenal this summer.

Jacobs said: “Yeah, I think Arsenal are still stuck deciding on the striker front. But it’s clear that that’s the kind of profile that they’re looking for, and they feel is missing.

“And along with Benjamin Sesko, they’ve considered Evan Ferguson and Viktor Gyokeres, but they’ve ruled out Ivan Toney.

“And even though we hear reports about Arsenal moving for Victor Osimhen, the outlay is so severe that nothing is advancing at this stage on that front.

“It’s a long window, of course, but there’s better value and slightly younger profiles of strikers that Arsenal are prioritising at this time.”

It will be interesting to see who they end up signing. It is no secret that Arsenal will have to bring in a quality goalscorer this summer.

Gabriel Jesus found the back of the net just four times in the league last season and the Gunners are in desperate need of an improvement. They need someone who can lead the line for them and score goals consistently. Someone like Osimhen and would have been a quality addition. He has proven himself to be a reliable goalscorer for Napoli and he helped them win the league title during the 2022–23 season.

Victor Osimhen to Arsenal?Osimhen would have improved ArsenalThe Nigerian is already operating at world class level and he could have transformed Arsenal in the final third. However, Arsenal are unlikely to pay over the odds for him, and it will be interesting to see if Napoli decide to lower their asking price for the striker in the coming weeks.

Osimhen has been linked with other English clubs as well and it remains to be seen where he ends up. He has proven himself in Italian football and he might look to take up a new challenge at this stage of his career.

A move to Arsenal would have been an exciting opportunity for him. The Gunners have been pushing for the league title in the last two seasons and with the right additions, they might be able to go all the way.