Victor Osimhen’s impressive start to life in Turkey means he remains on the radar of some of Europe’s elite clubs, including Arsenal, despite failing to secure a permanent move from Napoli last summer.
The Nigeria international is currently one of the best strikers in the world, perhaps only behind Erling Haaland and Harry Kane.
It is, therefore, no surprise that he continues to be linked with a return to Europe’s top five leagues following his brilliant performances for Galatasaray this term. The 25-year-old’s burgeoning status took a hit when he joined the Super Lig outfit on loan at the start of the season but he’s shown he’s still the real deal with his prolific displays.
“I think that he would be a brilliant option for Arsenal because he is a different profile to the type of strikers that they have,” former Gunners defender Bacary Sagna said recently.
“This kind of striker—dynamic, physically imposing, and versatile—could be the missing piece that takes Arsenal’s attack from good to great.”
While Mikel Arteta’s side would need to loosen the purse strings to acquire Osimhen’s signature, the advantages of having such a proven forward at the Emirates far outweigh anything else.
Does Osimhen make Arsenal better and enhance their chances of competing for the Premier League and UEFA Champions League? Absolutely.
And here’s why.
Osimhen immediately improves Arsenal’s one-paced attack
To be fair, Arsenal seem to have turned a corner in recent times after enduring a rather miserable start to the month of November. The Gunners went on a three-game winless run against Newcastle United, Inter Milan and Chelsea, scoring just once in that period.
However, Arsenal’s attack has been purring in their last two matches, where they’ve found the back of the net eight times.
As impressive as their last two results have been, they only paper over Arsenal’s overall struggles this season, especially in front of goal.
Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard have all been deployed as the team’s main striker in different games this season. The key detail here, though, is that none of the aforementioned players is a centre-forward.
Arsenal’s lack of a proper centre-forward means they’ve often had to rely on their wingers for goals but the downside is that decent opposition teams tend to find joy in pushing up high, keeping in mind that the Gunners’ attack would be unable to eat up the spaces left behind once their wingers are stopped.
Osimhen’s presence immediately varies Arsenal’s attack and brings the sort of dynamism needed to go toe to toe with the big boys.
Osimhen is a superior scorer compared to Havertz
Another reason why Arsenal need to break the bank to sign Osimhen is that he is a superior striker to the club’s already existing options.
While Havertz has been decent in Arteta’s experiment of using the German as a false nine, his limitations have been very obvious, especially against well-structured opposition.
In terms of statistics, both Havertz and Osimhen have very identical numbers this season. Both have scored eight goals, although Osimhen achieved his return in eight matches fewer than the Germany international and boasts four assists to Havertz’s one.
Both players have some similar attributes too, especially when it comes to Havertz’s aerial ability. But the gulf in quality between the two is as clear as day and night.
Osimhen is far superior in many aspects: he has the pace to go in behind, presses better and is more prolific, which is exactly what Arsenal need to make their attack better.
Arsenal need a world-class striker like Osimhen to challenge for big trophies
Arsenal have run Manchester City very close in recent years, finishing five and two points off Pep Guardiola’s side in the last two seasons.
Their record in the Champions League has also not been encouraging, having exited in the quarter-finals last season.
To finally cross the hurdle of being a ‘nearly team’, however, the Gunners need a world-class striker and Osimhen readily ticks that box. He guarantees goals and is also a big-game player.
Arteta and his side haven’t won any major silverware since 2020 and they might not get close to one if they don’t augment the squad with a proven scorer. The Gunners already have a great squad with a talented young core.
Osimhen could be the final piece in the jigsaw for Arsenal to make a play for the big trophies.
