Arsenal will be ‘ones to watch’ in the highly-anticipated transfer tussle for SSC Napoli striker Victor Osimhen amid an update that will leave Chelsea ‘fearful’ for their hopes.
The 25-year-old is likely to be among the hottest tickets on the market this summer. Arsenal and Chelsea are only two of the clubs with an interest in signing Osimhen now. Even though Napoli only just tied their star forward down with a new contract to June 2026 in December.
Stadio Diego Armando Maradona chiefs moved to lock Osimhen down with fresh terms with the prolific Nigerian highly sought-after. His goals also guided the Azzurri to their first Serie A title since the days of Diego Maradona back in 1989/90 with 26 in 32 games over 2022/23.
Graeme Bailey issues an update on Victor Osimhen’s transfer
Now, HITC Football’s transfer expert Graeme Bailey has exclusively told Arsenal Insider that Mikel Arteta’s side will be ‘ones to watch’ in the race for Osimhen’s transfer from Napoli. He also adds that ‘of course’ the Gunners will be able to afford a swoop for him in the summer.
But a move for the attacker will more likely hinge on if the Emirates Stadium natives want to break their transfer record in successive summers. It would take a British record fee to coax Osimhen out of Napoli. The Azzurri will only sell for his new, $143m (£112m) release clause.
Stan Kroenke, Arsenal’s owner, let Arteta and sporting director Edu break the club’s transfer record last summer for Declan Rice. Arsenal must now decide if they are prepared to spend more than they paid West Ham United to beat Chelsea over Osimhen’s transfer from Napoli.
Bailey believes that Chelsea are ‘fearful’ about which teams might rival them for Osimhen’s transfer from Napoli this summer, though. Football Transfers has also credited Real Madrid with an interest in the Lagos native as Galactico chiefs feel he is a good bet for Los Blancos.
Real Madrid sense that Osimhen has similarities to Karim Benzema and would suit the style of play Los Blancos desire. Benzema spent 14 years at the Santiago Bernabeu and helped to win five Champions League titles and four La Liga honours. He also got the 2022 Ballon d’Or.
What has Victor Osimhen said about a potential move?
Osimhen recently added further fuel to the rumours linking the Napoli striker with a transfer to England. He emphasised to Sky Sports earlier this week that the Nigerian wants to play in the Premier League ‘one day’. But Osimhen remains happy to be playing in Naples right now.
“I am happy with the president,” he noted. “I have a good relationship with him, I cannot lie. He has been with me since I signed for the club in 2020. I have a good relationship with his family also and, for me, it is always important to make sure we have this good relationship.
“For me ADL [Aurelio De Laurentiis] has been the kind of president who has been supportive to me outside the pitch. And, of course, I make sure I give my all and try to win the Scudetto for them. For me, it is always important to have this kind of relationship.”
Osimhen added on wanting to secure a transfer to the Premier League: “Of course, one day, definitely. But for now I have other plans in my career that I am looking forward to. So, when the time comes, everyone knows.”
Latest on Chelsea’s interest in Victor Osimhen’s transfer from Napoli
The Evening Standard has claimed that Osimhen is one of several strikers on Chelsea’s radar for a transfer. The Stamford Bridge squad also like Evan Ferguson of Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford talisman Ivan Toney. But their price tags make moves in January very unlikely.
Osimhen and Toney are also likely to demand wages of around £200k-a-week to leave their respective clubs. Ferguson would only seek around half of that to quit Brighton but Chelsea would face a £100m asking price. Napoli would also only sell Osimhen for his release clause.
Chelsea have made signing a striker their top priority but Mauricio Pochettino insists that it is not a super urgent requirement. So, the Blues are willing to wait until the summer to get their preferred targets when the west London natives will have a significant budget to work with.
Do Arsenal have any chance of securing Victor Osimhen’s transfer?
Given Napoli want £112m to sell Osimhen, it is beyond unlikely that Arsenal have any hopes of securing his transfer in January like Chelsea. The Gunners would need to sell several stars for big fees to afford a swoop now. So, they will have to wait for this summer, at the earliest.
Arsenal will then likely face a direct fight for Chelsea over Osimhen’s transfer from Napoli if Arteta advances their interest. But the Spaniard and sporting director Edu can look at their successful swoop for Rice last summer as one reason to feel optimistic about their chances.
Bayern Munich and Manchester City also showed an interest in securing Rice’s transfer from West Ham but he chose Arsenal. Rice also chose to join the Gunners owing to Arteta’s pitch.
“The manager, Mikel,” Rice told Channel 4 last September, via football.london, about why he chose Arsenal. “From the moment I met him, I knew he was the one I wanted to take care of the next part of my career. The way he spoke, his aura [and] the way he sees the game.”
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