Arsenal Transfer News: Stats show Gunners should rival Chelsea for Victor Osimhen

 

After finishing second to Manchester City in back to back Premier League seasons, Arsenal were expected to recruit in three key areas this summer with a view to pipping the champions to the title in 2024/25. 

 

The Gunners, though, have been one of the Premier League’s less busy sides, making just one permanent first-team addition thus far, in Riccardo Calafiori. 

 

Plenty would have expected Mikel Arteta’s side to add a defender, central midfielder and attacking player, whether that be a traditional No 9 or a wide player to provide competition for the likes of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard. 

 

Last season, Arteta trialled a number of different players as a centre-forward in his preferred 4-3-3 set-up, with the likes of Leandro Trossard, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus featuring in the role. 

 

Eventually, due to his impressive form while leading the line in the second half of the campaign, Havertz nailed down the position as his own, but can the German attacker be relied upon for a full season? 

 

With reports suggesting that prolific Napoli striker Victor Osimhen wants to leave the Italian club this summer, amid interest from Chelsea, we’re making the case for the Gunners to swoop in for the Nigerian.

 

The Blues are currently the bookmakers' favourite to land the 25-year-old this summer, but it remains to be seen whether they will follow up their strong interest with a concrete offer, potentially leaving the door open for a rival club to strike.

 

 

To maximise their chances of lifting that elusive Premier League title, Arsenal require a reliable striker who will guarantee 20 or more goals per season, a player with the clinical quality of Erling Haaland, Alexander Isak or Mohamed Salah. 

 

Havertz has not scored more than 15 league goals in his senior career since his penultimate campaign at Bayer Leverkusen in 2019, while the most Jesus has mustered in a single season was 14, at Manchester City. 

 

In Napoli’s Scudetto-winning 2022/23 season, Osimhen netted 26 league goals from 30 league starts. The Nigerian followed up that stellar campaign with 15 league goals in 22 starts last term, as part of what was a significantly weaker side. 

 

Given the quantity of chances Arsenal create - last season only Manchester City and Liverpool produced more than their 514 - Osimhen would be expected to match, or even increase his output in front of goal under Arteta. 

 

 

The Arsenal manager may well feel that the players currently at his disposal are more than capable of scoring the number of goals required to outdo Manchester City this coming season, but supporters’ expectations for the campaign would certainly go up a notch were they to bring in a serial goalscorer. 

 

In Osimhen, the Gunners can take advantage of a unique market opportunity, and one that might well prove the difference in what is sure to be another mightily competitive title race.

Arsenal Transfer News: Stats show Gunners should rival Chelsea for Victor Osimhen