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Victor Osimhen was heavily linked with a move to Arsenal in the summer transfer window.
The Gunners had a very good window, and Edu Gaspar deserves a lot of credit for all the deals he secured – both incomings and outgoings.
Some fans are a bit annoyed that Arsenal decided against signing an out-and-out striker this summer, and an argument can be made that the decision could come back to haunt them.
Osimhen was the man many Arsenal fans wanted, but Mikel Arteta rejected the opportunity to land him. Fabrizio Romano has revealed why in a video on his YouTube channel.
Photo by Ciro De Luca/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Arsenal rejected Victor Osimhen for one key reason
Osimhen had a crazy transfer saga this summer.
Everyone expected the Nigeria international to leave Napoli, and it was a surprise to many that clubs weren’t queuing up to land him as soon as the window opened in June.
Osimhen’s future wasn’t sorted all summer and his expected move to Chelsea also failed on deadline day after the two parties failed to reach an agreement.
Now, the striker is off to Turkey to join Galatasaray on a loan deal, but things could’ve been very different for Osimhen if Arsenal had agreed to sign him.
Romano has revealed that the Gunners were offered a chance to sign Osimhen all the way back in June, but Edu and Arteta ‘immediately’ rejected him because of the financials involved.
The journalist has claimed that Napoli wanted his full release clause to be paid at the time, and that, combined with Osimhen’s salary, made Arsenal decide they didn’t want him.
Romano said: “Let me say that also, at the beginning of the summer transfer window, in June, Arsenal were also offered the possibility to sign Victor Osimhen. That time, for the value of the release clause – so, something between €120 million and €130 million (£101m-£109m).
“Arsenal immediately decided against that possibility. Then, we saw again in the rumours in the media in Italy, Osimhen and Arsenal again in July and August – that was never a possibility. That’s because Arsenal, already in June, decided against investing on a number nine.
“So, Arsenal were not going to put big money on that player and especially they were not going to put that amount of money on that player. In case of an opportunity like Benjamin Sesko, Arsenal were prepared to do it. €50-€60 million (£42m-£50m) was something OK.
“But, for €120 million, Arsenal were never prepared to pay that money. It was also about FFP and the salary. The salary of Victor Osimhen for Arsenal was something that they didn’t want to afford.
“This is why Arsenal were never really in the race this summer for Victor Osimhen, but they were offered this possibility.”
Arsenal could sign Osimhen for a discounted fee in 2025
Arsenal were never going to smash their transfer record again in this window, so we’re not surprised that Osimhen wasn’t an option.
However, that could change in 2025.
Romano, in this same video, has revealed that Osimhen’s release clause will be changing from €130 million to €75 million (£63m).
To add to that, his loan deal at Galatasaray will include a break clause, which means if a club can strike a deal with Napoli to sign him in January, it can be easily done.
€75 million for Osimhen is a good fee, and if Arsenal are back in the market for a new striker in January, the Nigerian would surely be a very tempting option.
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