Arsenal passed on the opportunity to sign Victor Osimhen this summer, and the reasons behind their decision have now come to light.
Osimhen was widely rumored to be leaving Napoli during the summer transfer window, with clubs like Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, and Saudi Pro League team Al-Ahli showing interest in the 25-year-old striker.
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Despite the speculation, Osimhen did not secure a permanent move and instead joined Galatasaray on a season-long loan. Napoli had already signed Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea as his replacement.
It has now been revealed that Arsenal were also given the chance to sign Osimhen but were put off by the high cost of his release clause. Reports suggest it would have cost Arsenal over £100 million to acquire Osimhen, a fee they were “never prepared” to pay.
Arsenal has been linked with Osimhen for several years, and the player even declined an offer from the club during Arsene Wenger’s tenure, following his standout performance for Nigeria at the U17 World Cup in 2015.
“I spoke with Arsene Wenger after the tournament ended and he wanted me to come to Arsenal,” he told theIndependentin 2020. “I had a lot of options. Barcelona; Inter Milan; Atletico Madrid; Juventus and the rest.
“Arsenal was a good option but it wasn’t the best at the time,” he explained.
“I wanted to start playing as soon as I turned 18. I wanted to go to a place where I had time to invest in my game and improve physically. Wolfsburg showed me that possibility.”
Arsenal decided against bringing in a new striker this summer, with manager Mikel Arteta opting to continue using Kai Havertz in the forward role.
Instead, they focused on strengthening other areas, securing deals for defender Riccardo Calafiori, midfielder Mikel Merino, winger Raheem Sterling, and goalkeeper Neto.
The club also capitalized on the departures of players like Emile Smith Rowe, Eddie Nketiah, and Aaron Ramsdale, while Reiss Nelson, Fabio Vieira, Karl Hein, and Marquinhos were all sent out on loan.
