Arsenal have been handed a boost in their pursuit of a rumoured transfer target this summer after it emerged that they are in pole position to get a deal done.
Gunners chasing a striker
Mikel Arteta’s side are looking to push on from their second consecutive second-placed finish in the Premier League, and have identified their frontline as an area requiring an upgrade this summer.
They have been strongly linked with a move for Benjamin Sesko, but the RB Leipzig man remains very much a project striker at this point, and he will not guarantee goals immediately.
There is also plenty of competition for his signature, with Manchester United and Chelsea both interested in the Slovenian striker. But Arsenal could pull off a masterstroke by signing an alternative to the 20-year-old.
Osimhen links with Chelsea and Arsenal
Now, it has been claimed that Arsenal are in pole position to sign Napoli hitman Victor Osimhen this summer. The Gunners are among the clubs who have held a longterm interest in the Nigerian striker, who has a £112m release clause written into his £250,000 a week contract in Naples, a fee that would represent a transfer record for most clubs.
Dubbed a “phenomenal” striker by then Cagliari boss Walter Mazzarri when his side faced Napoli back in 2021, he has gone on to prove that analysis correct in the years gone by, attracting interest from England’s elite as a result.
| Arsenal record signings | ||
| Player | Fee | Year signed |
| Declan Rice | £105m | 2023 |
| Nicolas Pepe | £72m | 2019 |
| Kai Havertz | £65m | 2024 |
| Gabriel Jesus | £45m | 2022 |
| Mesut Ozil | £42.5m | 2012 |
So far though, no one has seen fit to trigger his release clause. In fact, interest from the Premier League was coming largely from Chelsea, and that involved a swap for Romelu Lukaku, who the Blues are still trying to shift after two loan spells away.
Fabrizio Romano now reports that the swap deal was “never really considered” by Chelsea however, as they look to raise funds through a direct sale of Lukaku, while the Blues cannot afford the £112m release clause and have pulled out for the time being.
The same cannot be said for Arsenal, as the Italian media report the Gunners are now the most likely destination due to a lack of the same financial constraints affecting Chelsea, while PSG’s interest is simply in the background for the time being.
It has been a poor season for Napoli, who will be without European football of any kind next season, though Osimhen himself still found the net on 15 occasions. He is thought to be wanted by clubs in Saudi Arabia, but previous reports have claimed that the Nigerian is “waiting for Arenal”.
They now seemingly have a clear run to do so if they can stump up the £112m, and the striker could finally be enough to make it third time lucky in the Premier League title race next season.
