Arsenal Eye Victor Osimhen as Striker Target

Arsenal have opened internal discussions over a move for Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen, with Manchester United stepping away from the race due to the scale of the deal.

Mikel Arteta’s side are still searching for another centre-forward despite last summer’s £64million outlay on Viktor Gyokeres. The club’s ideal signing remains Julian Alvarez, who has informed Atletico Madrid he wants to leave in pursuit of major honours such as the Champions League and Ballon d’Or.

The problem? Alvarez has his heart set on Barcelona. On top of that, Atletico are demanding upwards of €200m (£171m) for the Argentine. That combination has forced Arsenal to widen the net.

Osimhen has emerged as one of the most realistic alternatives. The Nigerian has long dreamed of playing in the Premier League, and according to TEAMtalk, both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have been holding internal talks over a possible move.

United, long-term admirers of the 27-year-old, have now “cooled their interest” because of the enormous financial package required. Their retreat has cleared a path for a potential London tug-of-war, with Arsenal and Spurs both sensing an opening for a statement signing.

For now, though, this is still at the exploratory stage. Nothing is advanced, no formal negotiations are under way, and there is substantial work to be done before Osimhen can seriously be pictured in either red or white in north London.

The numbers will be brutal. Some recent reports have floated a fee as low as €65m (£55.5m), but that figure looks wildly optimistic. Galatasaray are expected to push for something closer to £100m, in line with Osimhen’s status as one of Europe’s elite No 9s and his contract, which runs for another three years. That deal puts the Turkish champions in a powerful position at the table.

Then come the wages. TEAMtalk’s report notes that Osimhen is seeking around £400,000 per week to make the jump to England. Those demands were a major factor in the collapse of his proposed move to Chelsea in 2024 and will again test the resolve and salary structures of any Premier League suitor.

For Arsenal, the debate is nuanced. With Gyokeres already leading the line, some at the club may argue that sporting director Andrea Berta should channel resources into a top-class left winger instead of another marquee centre-forward.

That need has already been underlined this summer. Arsenal have missed out on Morgan Rogers and Vinicius Junior, while their interest in Bradley Barcola is complicated by Liverpool currently sitting in pole position for the Frenchman.

If Barcola slips away as well, the pressure on Arsenal to move decisively in wide areas will only grow. Nico Williams, Kenan Yildiz and Iliman Ndiaye are all on the radar, each offering a different profile to reshape Arteta’s attack.

So the question lingers over north London: do Arsenal rip up the budget to land Osimhen and double down on firepower through the middle, or pivot hard towards that elusive left winger who might complete the puzzle?