According to Foot Mercato, Arsenal continue to remain interested in signing Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen.
The Gunners started their Premier League title defence in fine fashion with a 3-0 triumph over Coventry City at the Emirates Stadium last night. Kai Havertz led the line for the north London giants and made his mark with the 2nd goal of the game.
Viktor Gyokeres was an unused substitute, which came as a surprise for many Arsenal fans. The Swede lost his regular starting spot to Havertz towards the end of the previous campaign and his future is uncertain before the transfer deadline.
Foot Mercato now reveal that the Gunners have already been in talks with Galatasaray for Osimhen. The Nigerian star is viewed as an attacking upgrade for the London giants, having failed to convince Atletico Madrid star Julian Alvarez to join them.
The same publication add that Arsenal consider the player’s £17.1 million net annual salary as unreasonable, and want him to lower his demands. The ball is currently in Osimhen’s court and a move could materialise if he accepts a huge wage cut.
Arsenal are ‘highly interested’ in signing the 27-year-old striker and hope he lowers his salary.
Huge salary
Arsenal were keen on landing a marquee left winger earlier in the transfer window. Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers was a top target but Chelsea beat them to his signature. Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior emerged as a lucrative target soon after, but the Brazil international ended up signing a new six-year contract with Los Blancos.
Since then, summer signing Christos Tzolis has proved his credentials on the left wing with stand-out displays. He had a top pre-season with 4 goal contributions and a penalty won. The Greek has carried over the good form. He bagged 2 assists in the Community Shield win over Manchester City before impressing against Coventry too.
The 24-year-old did not register a goal or an assist on his Premier League debut for the Gunners, but he was responsible for creating the first 2 goals. Arsenal have placed Gabriel Martinelli in the transfer market, but they still have Eberechi Eze, who can operate from the left flank. He came on as a substitute in the role against the Sky Blues.
Hence, the Gunners could be angling towards signing a marquee striker before the transfer window closes. Osimhen had a top previous season with 22 goals from 33 outings and has scored 4 goals already from just 2 appearances this campaign. The Nigerian could be seen as an upgrade on Gyokeres, who could be sold before the window closes.
The big question remains whether Osimhen would accept a huge salary cut. He is on £329,000-per-week net at Galatasaray, as per Foot Mercato, which is well over £600,000 weekly before tax in England. Arsenal’s highest earner is Bukayo Saka on only £300,000 per week (gross) and it could take a huge financial sacrifice from the Nigerian star to make the switch. Otherwise, Arsenal may not make an offer.
