By Daily Sports Nigeria on February 8, 2025

Arsenal have made Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen their top transfer target for the summer window as they cool their interest in Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The Gunners, who trail Premier League leaders Liverpool by six points, have identified the Galatasaray striker as a key addition to bolster their attacking options.

Osimhen, who was crowned 2023 CAF African Footballer of The Year, has been in scintillating form since joining the Turkish giants on loan from Napoli in September, scoring 17 goals and providing six assists in 22 appearances across all competitions this season.

The 26-year-old’s impressive record of 76 goals in 133 appearances for Napoli has caught the attention of several top clubs, with Arsenal’s interest dating back to June 2024 when they first explored the possibility of signing the striker.

While Napoli initially demanded €130m for the Nigerian international, the lack of concrete proposals meeting this valuation could work in Arsenal’s favour during negotiations.

The North London club’s shift in focus comes as Villa maintain a firm stance on Watkins’ availability, despite the English striker’s reported desire to join his childhood club.

Former Southampton defender Jose Fonte, who played alongside Osimhen at Lille, recently expressed surprise that no Premier League club had secured the Nigerian’s signature.

“When I saw Victor Osimhen go to Galatasaray, I thought it was foolish that no Premier League club had signed him. Once Osimhen gets into the Premier League, I think he will bully defenders, he is aggressive, fast, clever and powerful,” Fonte told BoyleSports.

Osimhen’s potential arrival at the Emirates Stadium would align with manager Mikel Arteta’s tactical vision, offering both immediate impact and long-term value as the Gunners look to strengthen their squad for domestic and European competitions.

The striker had previously been linked with moves to Chelsea and Saudi Arabian clubs before joining Galatasaray, where he has maintained the prolific form that saw him become Serie A’s first African top scorer with 26 goals in Napoli’s title-winning 2022/23 campaign.

Serie A giants Juventus are also reportedly preparing a €75m bid for the striker as a replacement for Dusan Vlahovic next summer, with sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli, who signed Osimhen for Napoli in 2020, keen on reuniting with the Nigerian at the Allianz Stadium.

Source Punch Ng

Posted February 8, 2025

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