Napoli superstar Victor Osimhen reveals Arsenal transfer talks
Victor Osimhen, who currently plays as a striker for Napoli, has shared that he was on the verge of signing with Arsenal, managed by Arsene Wenger, in 2017.
However, he ended up joining Wolfsburg instead. Osimhen’s impressive performances this season have gained him recognition from some of Europe’s top clubs.
He has scored an outstanding 25 goals in 29 games in Italy, which has played a significant role in helping Napoli get closer to winning their first Serie A championship in 33 years.
Manchester United and Chelsea are reportedly interested in signing the Nigerian player for the upcoming summer transfer window.
Both teams are in need of a new striker to lead their offensive line next season, and Osimhen’s impressive performance for Luciano Spalletti’s team has caught their attention and made him a strong candidate.
Osimhen has been in excellent form for some time, having previously drawn comparisons to the legendary Didier Drogba. He demonstrated his goal-scoring abilities by netting 20 goals in 36 appearances for RSC Charleroi during the 2018/19 season, and followed it up with 18 more in the subsequent campaign with LOSC Lille in the French Ligue 1.
His impressive record in the French top-flight convinced Napoli to break their transfer record by signing him for a fee of €70 million (£61.5 million), with the potential for the overall fee to increase to €80 million (£70.3 million).
This made him the most expensive African footballer in history. Since joining Napoli in 2020, Osimhen has scored a total of 53 goals in 91 appearances.
Osimhen’s career could have taken a different path if he had made a different decision in 2017. After his impressive performances at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup, where he scored ten goals to help Nigeria win the tournament, he caught the attention of clubs in Europe’s top five leagues.
He revealed that he had the opportunity to join Arsenal at the age of 18, but ultimately signed for Wolfsburg in January 2018, the same month that Arsenal acquired Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. At that time, the Gunners already had several strikers in their squad, including Alexandre Lacazette, Danny Welbeck, and Lucas Perez, which may have been the reason why Osimhen did not move to the Emirates Stadium.
Speaking to Centregoals, he said: “I spoke with Arsene Wenger and he wanted me to come to Arsenal but it was not the best option at the time.”
Osimhen is just one of the many high-profile players that former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger failed to sign during his 22-year tenure in charge of the club. Other notable names on the list include Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Raphael Varane, Yaya Toure, Ronaldinho, and Kylian Mbappe, among others.
Napoli superstar Victor Osimhen reveals Arsenal transfer talks
