Arsenal now told chances of landing their ‘version of Erling Haaland’ in January

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Arsenal hold an interest in signing Napoli striker Victor Osimhen.

Arsenal are on the look out for a new striker, with several options currently being weighed up by Mikel Arteta. Sporting director Edu is said to have already held talks with Napoli over the prospect of sealing a deal for Victor Osimhen, who is amongst the targets currently under consideration.

However, the Italian club are understandably reluctant to part with the forward. Osimhen is amongst the finest strikers in the European game, and fired Napoli to a Serie A title triumph last season.

Transfer journalist Dean Jones, speaking to GiveMeSports, has assessed the Gunners’ odds of sealing a deal for the 24-year-old in the upcoming January transfer window. He said, “I think Osimhen would be the type of striker that could cement Arsenal’s claim for a title challenge, just because of that goal reliability that I don’t feel they’ve got.” 

“I look across their front line, and you just haven’t got that obvious goal source week in and week out that it’s going to take typically to win a league title. Osimhen has got that. He’s got that pedigree, he’s got that panache, he’s got that hunger. I think having him would give them something that they are currently lacking. He could be like their version of Erling Haaland. But signing him halfway through the season will be difficult, and if he’s £120m, it’s virtually impossible.”

Would Arsenal be better off with Victor Osimhen starting ahead of Gabriel Jesus?

Arsenal do not currently have an elite-level goalscorer leading the line at the Emirates Stadium. Gabriel Jesus is a fine player, who improves those around him and brings a lot of positives to how the north London club play, but he is not prolific. The Brazilian recently publicly admitted that goalscoring is not his strength. 

Eddie Nketiah currently plays the back up role to Jesus. However, there have to be significant doubts about whether the Hale End academy graduate could possibly fire Arsenal to a Premier League title this season, were he to come into the starting XI for a significant period.

Signing Osimhen would represent a huge statement of intent. He is a proven goalscorer, and still ought to have his best years ahead of him. He has pace, power, composure, and is technically able.

However, the arrival of Osimhen would likely bump Jesus down to the bench, and Arteta may find that his front line as a whole is less effective without the Manchester City man on the pitch to tie it all together. It has to be questioned whether the likes of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli would shine alongside Osimhen in the same way they do when playing with Jesus.

In any case, it is almost certain that that question won’t be answered this winter, as Arsenal’s chances of signing Osimhen before the end of the current campaign are clearly incredibly slim.