Arsenal have seen an opening bid for Napoli star Victor Osimhen rejected, the Express report.
The Gunners reportedly offered a fee of £51 million for the Nigerian international, which Napoli have laughed off. Having signed the Lagos born forward for £67 million, the Gli Azzurri will be looking to at a bare minimum recuperate their expenditure.
However, De Laurentiis is a notoriously hard man to bargain with, a huge factor behind how the likes of Koulibaly have stayed in Naples for so long, he is an unwavering negotiator, something an inexperienced technical director like Edu won’t have encountered before.
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Osimhen was in fine form for Napoli last season, with 24 goal contributions in 32 games in all competitions, at an average of a g/a every 96 minutes for the Italian outfit.
There’s no doubt the 23-year-old is the perfect striker for Arteta’s project, along multiple dimensions - age, profile, top-level experience. However, with Napoli expected to demand in excess of £85 million for their most valued asset, a move would require a significant commitment from the Gunners.
At this stage, it appears more likely that Arsenal look for cheaper alternatives, with moves for the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Gianluca Scamacca touted as being in the £40-50 million range, a fee far more likely to entice the club into acquiring the services of one of the respective strikers.
If Arsenal do opt for the Nigerian international, he will join an ever growing contingent of young talent not yet in their prime. Despite the price-tag, were the Nigerian to don the famous red and white next season, he feels like the archetypal ‘Project Youth’ signing, with the added bonus of bordering on world class already.
Topics: Arsenal, Napoli, Victor Osimhen, Transfers
Jake Lennard