One of the largest areas of Arsenal The team with a frustrating lack of depth is at center forward. The Gunners have two main options they can rely on, Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz. However, there are arguments that neither are clinical enough to lead their line, with respectively six and 12 goals each this season.
Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton, now a pundit, suggested this in November. He explained that there is an “argument that you need a goalscorer, a natural finisher” to complement existing options.
The Gunners are actually linked with a player who could be the answer to their problems.
Arsenal target new striker
The player in question here is the Nigerian international striker. Victor Osimhen. The 25-year-old has impressed once again this season and is currently on loan at Turkish club Galatasaray, Napoli side.
According to a report from Football InsiderArsenal are believed to be ‘monitoring’ the striker ahead of a possible move to the ‘box office’ in January. They are likely to face competition for Osimhen, with Premier League rivals Manchester United and Chelsea thought to be interested.
According to Spanish information via Football365THE £159,000 per week The Nigerian striker has a release clause believed to be worth around £63million. If this 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 matches all competitions combined, as well as five assists.
The 25-year-old has also been superb for Napoli in previous seasons. In 133 matches for the Serie A giants, he scored an impressive 76 goals.
His best campaign in terms of goals came in 2022/23 when Gli Azzurri won the Scudetto. The Nigerian scored 31 goals in 39 matches to help his team win a famous title.
Indeed, the signing of Osimhen could certainly be an improvement on Havertz at centre-forward. It’s 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 player signed, saying that “he will be used in different positions” in a Gunners jersey.
He didn’t have a bad performance in front of goal last season. The 25-year-old has scored 13 goals and collected seven assists. in 37 appearances in the elite.
It’s certainly not a bad record, but considering he was up front for Arsenal, it left a lot to be desired.
Indeed, the gap between Arsenal’s number 29 and the on-loan Napoli striker is obvious. This goes for both the goalscoring figures 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 Squawkathe 25-year-old striker averaged 0.9 non-penalty goals per game. Crucially, he also averaged a goal in the box every 90 minutes, exactly the presence Arsenal were missing. In comparison, the German striker averaged 0.5 non-penalty goals and 0.5 goals from inside the box per game.
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Osimhen’s goal stats against Havertz |
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|---|---|---|
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Statistics (by 90) |
Osimhen (2022/23) |
Havertz (2023/24) |
|
Shots on target |
2 |
1 |
|
Goals |
1 |
0.5 |
|
Goals without penalty |
0.9 |
0.5 |
|
Goals in the box |
1 |
0.5 |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
54.55% |
50% |
|
Statistics of Squawka |
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The difference between the two is clear and although Havertz is a good footballer, he is not necessarily a true number nine. Osimhen, however, is a fantastic goalscorer, especially in the box, and could be the man the Gunners have been missing.
Agent Andrea D’Amico was once portrayed 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.
Although £63 million is a lot of money for a January window, it could be a smart investment for the Gunners. They would bring in a striker who knows where the back of the net is and could be a player to boost them as they look to push Liverpool to the top of the Premier League.
