Edu is hopeful of persuading Napoli chief Aurelio De Laurentiis to sell Victor Osimhen to Arsenal
Arsenal have exploded towards the very front of the queue to sign Victor Osimhen from Napoli this summer amid reports that Edu is already in talks with Aurelio De Laurentiis, who has been aware of the player’s desire to move on once the current campaign ends.
The Gunners are once again right in the mix to win the Premier League title this season after narrowly falling short last time around. Mikel Arteta’s side are also in the last eight of the Champions League, where Arsenal must overcome Bayern Munich if they are to set up a semi-final showdown with either Real Madrid or Manchester City.
Whether the north London side quite have enough to win either competition remains to be seen, with many observers feeling their side just lacks a goals influx generated by a reliable No 9.
And while the goals have been shared around their side this season, Arsenal’s two main striker options, Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Jesus have not exactly been prolific this season.
Indeed, Brazil marksman Jesus only has eight goals in 26 appearances this season, while Nketiah has only managed six goals – surprisingly lowly tallies given Arsenal are this season’s top scorers in the Premier League with 70 goals in their 28 games so far.
As a result, the prospect of Arsenal signing a top-level striker has gathered pace in recent weeks, with a number of options being considered.
And to set those wheels in motion, TEAMtalk exclusively broke the news earlier this montht that the Gunners have told Nketiah he is free to leave this summer with four Premier League sides on his trail. To that end, Arsenal hope to raise as much as £40m for his signature.
Arsenal open talks and are confident of deal for Victor Osimhen
Monies raised from that sale will be immediately pumped back into the club and through the signing of a new top level striker of their own.
In recent days speculation has mounted that Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres would be their preferred target, despite the lofty €100m exit clause that exists in his deal.
Bologna’s Joshua Zirkzee and Ivan Toney of Brentford are other options reportedly under consideration.
However, the absolute dream target for fans has always been Napoli sensation Osimhen, though he has long been regarded as being out of Arsenal’s league and particularly amid the new deal he recently signed that included a mammoth €120m (£102.8m) exit clause as part of the arrangement.
Now, though, reports in the Italian media have catapulted Arsenal right towards the front of the queue for Osimhen – and it’s now suggested that a sensational move to Emirates Stadium could be on the cards after all.
That’s according to Il Mattino who claims the 110-goal striker has made clear his wish to president Aurelio De Laurentiis that he wants to leave this summer and take his career to the next level.
The reigning Serie A champions are currently a lowly seventh in the table and have only a very remote chance of securing another season of Champions League football at the Diego Maradona Stadium in 2024/25.
Now it’s reported Osimhen is ‘looking for new adventures’ and has made the ‘first to push’ for a move away from the south of Italy and now has stressed to De Laurentiis he wants a ‘change of scenery’.
Osimhen to leave for surprisingly low fee as Arsenal advantage emerges
Per reports, Arsenal are now pushing the hardest for his signature with sporting director Edu, having been made aware of Osimhen’s wish to move on, already in contact with De Laurentiis over a deal.
The no-nonsense Napoli chief has been hoping to achieve the full exit clause in the 25-year-old’s deal.
However, none of his three main suitors – PSG and Chelsea being the other two – are willing to pay that much, with all three informing the Gli Azzurri they will only spend up to €90m (£77.1m) to land the 35-times capped Nigeria international.
Moreover, De Laurentiis – aware that his star man is pushing for the exit door – ‘does not demand’ the exit clause is reached, making a deal that bit more appealing to his suitors.
But it is Arsenal who are said to hold the advantage with Edu said to be hopeful over a deal.
That’s because the striker prefers a move to the Premier League over all others – ruling PSG out of the equation – while the fact Chelsea cannot offer UCL football also puts Arsenal – currently top of the Premier League – in with a tremendous chance of winning the transfer race.
Osimhen’s deal at Napoli runs to summer 2026 and he has scored a blistering 72 goals in 125 games for the club.
That potency in attack, assuming it can be transfered to the Premier League, will give Arsenal something very much missing from their side this season and help take the club on to the next level.
Having identified – and signed – Declan Rice as their top target last summer, hopes are growing that Osimhen can become this summer’s big catch. It might soon be time for Arsenal supporters to start getting excited….
