Arsenal could make a late move for a forward over the next week, with Nigerian internationals Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen both emerging as potential transfer targets.
Arsenal have been given a top tip in their pursuit of a forward this summer transfer window: Ademola Lookman is better than his Nigeria team-mate Victor Osimhen.
The Gunners remain busy in the transfer market with just one week remaining until the window shuts. They are closing in on signing Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino after a fee of £28.4 plus £4.2m in add-ons was agreed with Real Sociedad.
The player is expected to sign a four-year deal with the option to extend for a fifth, becoming their third arrival this summer after goalkeeper David Raya and defender Riccardo Calafiori. Arsenal will also hope to offload several players, including Eddie Nketiah and Aaron Ramsdale.
It remains to be seen whether the north Londoners will make any further additions to their squad, though manager Mikel Arteta is still in search of a forward. Two potential names which have emerged over the past week are Atalanta winger Lookman and Napoli striker Osimhen.
Osimhen is the bigger name thanks to his goal-scoring heroics which won Napoli their first Scudetto in 33 years in 2022/2023, and has been strongly linked with big clubs like Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain. Lookman, meanwhile, enjoyed a standout 2023/24 season which included a hat-trick on his way to winning the Europa League final.
But former Nigeria national team manager Jose Peseiro – who coached the pair to the AFCON 2024 final – was more glowing in his praise for the 26-year-old Lookman.
“Ademola is more technical than Osimhen, more inclined to create the game, and who is now also scoring. He is performing very well this year,” Peseiro told SportItalia. “He grew up with (Atalanta manager) Gian Piero Gasperini, now he is always playing, and we are happy with him. high level, he too can aspire to do great things.”
He added: “It’s no coincidence that they’ve both grown this year. This is because they’re both within a good system of play. Atalanta and Napoli want the ball, they want to play and attack. In these conditions, players get excited like this. Italian football has changed a lot in the last few years.”
SportItalia this week claimed that Arsenal are considering a huge £42.5m offer, plus defender Jakub Kiwior, to tempt Atalanta into parting ways with Lookman. The player-plus-cash deal comes despite him nearing a transfer to PSG, which resulted in him being dropped for the Italian side’s opening two games of the season.
Sky Sports Deutschland now report that the former Everton, RB Leipzig and Leicester star has agreed personal terms with PSG, but the Gunners may still sweep in and bring him back to his city of birth if they come in with a better offer. There is also a suggestion that Lookman could arrive on a loan deal with an option to buy.
Lookman as a wide forward provides a very different profile to Osimhen, who is deadliest as a number nine in the box. Arsenal initially wanted to bring in an out-and-out striker this summer but deals for their two main targets – Benjamin Sesko and Alexander Isak – proved increasingly unlikely.
Now there is a growing acceptance that Kai Havertz will lead the line this season, supported by Gabriel Jesus. A wide forward is perhaps of greater priority given the amount of games Bukayo Saka has played in recent years, making Lookman a more shrewd signing than Osimhen.
Lookman already has Premier League experience too, having played for Everton, Fulham and Leicester City on loan. His compatriot has played in Germany, France and Italy, but not England, with his adaptation period perhaps being of concern to Arteta.
Most poignantly, Osimhen would cost a far greater sum of £84.9m, according to Corriere dello Sport. With PSG and Chelsea sniffing around the 25-year-old all summer there is no shortage of suitors, which means Napoli can demand a higher fee.
Reports in Italy claim Arsenal haven’t given up on Victor Osimhen just yet after seemingly dropping out of the race. But journalist Fabrizio Romano reported this week that there “is nothing [no news] regarding Arsenal’s reported interest”.
Napoli sporting director Giovanni Manna admitted he expected to lose the Nigeria star, saying: “Victor is an important player, with an important value and conditions. His desire is clear.
“We tried to maintain the integrity of the squad at this moment. We are not the only club in this situation and we’ll see what happens over the next 10 days. At this time, it is not right to say what sensations there are. We are working with his entourage to find the best solution.”
