One of the biggest areas in the Arsenal squad with a frustrating lack of depth is at centre-forward. The Gunners have two main options who they can rely on, Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz. However, there are arguments that neither are clinical enough to lead their line, with six and 12 goals each respectively this season.
Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton, now a pundit, suggested that back in November. He explained that there is an “argument that you need a goalscorer, a natural finisher” to complement the existing options.
The Gunners have actually been linked with one player who could be the answer to their problems.
Arsenal target new striker
The player in question here is Nigeria international striker Victor Osimhen. The 25-year-old has once again impressed this season and is currently on loan at Turkish club Galatasaray, from parent side Napoli.
According to a report from Football Insider, Arsenal are believed to be ‘monitoring’ the striker ahead of a potential ‘box office’ January move. They are likely to face competition for Osimhen, with Premier League rivals Manchester United and Chelsea thought to be interested.
According to Spanish reports via Football365, the £159k-per-week Nigerian striker has a release clause which is thought to be worth around £63m. If that is activated, it will see him leave Galatasaray mid-season.
Why Osimhen would be a good signing
Should the Gunners bring the striker to the club in January, it would certainly see the purchase of a man capable of finding the net. The Nigerian has been on fire in 2024/25, with 12 goals in 15 games across all competitions, as well as five assists.
The 25-year-old has also been superb for Napoli in previous seasons. In 133 games for the Serie A giants, he scored an impressive 76 goals.
His best campaign in terms of goalscoring was in 2022/23 when Gli Azzurri lifted the Scudetto. The Nigerian scored 31 goals in 39 games to help his side win a famous title.
Indeed, signing Osimhen could certainly be an upgrade on Havertz at centre-forward. That is not because the German is a bad player, but he is not necessarily a natural striker.
Mikel Arteta explained such a thing last season when the former Chelsea man signed, saying that “he’ll be used in different positions” in a Gunners shirt.
He did not perform badly in front of goal last term. The 25-year-old scored 13 goals and grabbed seven assists in 37 appearances in the top flight.
That is certainly not a bad record, but given he was leading the line for Arsenal, it left a lot to be desired.
Indeed, the gap between the Arsenal number 29 and the on-loan Napoli striker is clear to see. That goes for both the goalscoring numbers and the statistical comparison when looking at Havertz’s Premier League stats from last season and Osimhen’s from the 2022/23 Serie A campaign.
According to Squawka, the 25-year-old striker averaged 0.9 non-penalty goals per game. Crucially, he also averaged one goal inside the box per 90 minutes, exactly the presence Arsenal have been missing. In comparison, the German attacker averaged 0.5 non-penalty goals and 0.5 goals from inside the box per game.
|
Osimhen vs. Havertz goalscoring stats |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stat (per 90) |
Osimhen (2022/23) |
Havertz (2023/24) |
|
Shots on target |
2 |
1 |
|
Goals |
1 |
0.5 |
|
Non-penalty goals |
0.9 |
0.5 |
|
Goals inside the box |
1 |
0.5 |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
54.55% |
50% |
|
Stats from Squawka |
||
The difference between the two is clear, and whilst Havertz is a good footballer, he is not necessarily an out-and-out number nine. Osimhen, however, is a fantastic goalscorer, especially in the box, and could be the man the Gunners have missed.
Agent Andrea D’Amico once described the 25-year-old as “the best striker in the world”, comparing him to Manchester City striker Erling Haaland. He even called him “even better than Haaland”, which is high praise for Osimhen.
Whilst £63m is a lot of money in a January window, it could be a smart investment for the Gunners. They would be bringing in a striker who knows where the back of the net is and could be a player to spur them on as they look to push Liverpool at the top of the Premier League.
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