Arsenal have a lengthy list of forwards on their summer transfer shopping list ahead of the window opening. One of those names is that of Napoli forward Victor Osimhen, with the Nigerian having caught the eye for the Serie A outfit so far this season.
Formerly of Lille, the 23-year-old has scored 15 goals in 25 outings for Naples side - 11 of which have come in Serie A. With the likes of Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah both out of contract at the end of the season, it has been thought that Osimhen would be an excellent candidate to shoulder the goalscoring burden at the Emirates Stadium.
It appears that the Gunners are stepping up their interest too, with CBS Sports reporting that the club are ‘extensively scouting’ the striker ahead of a possible summer move. However, he is not the only one that Arsenal are keeping tabs on, with Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez having also been watched on a number of occasions.
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Whilst it appears that there is genuine interest from north London in Osimhen, there might well be something that puts both Arsenal and Mikel Arteta off a deal. According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the Nigerian was late back into training having embarked on international duty with his country.
It wasn’t too much of a successful trip away for Osimhen as his side failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar - losing a play-off to Thomas Partey ’s Ghana. It appears though that the Napoli man extended his break - and it is not the first time that it has happened either.
As per the reports, Osimhen has returned later from international later than the rest of the squad, although whether that is down to the player or logistics within his home country remains to be seen. The consequences are the same though regardless of the cause, with the young striker expected to miss this weekend’s showdown with Atalanta.
It goes without saying that should he complete a move to Arsenal, his time-keeping will almost certainly have to improve. Reports have previously suggested that the breakdown in relationship between Arteta and former forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang revolved around a late return from a permitted trip to France.
Of course, the Gabonese’s time at the club ended under a cloud as he was stripped of the club captaincy before a protracted move to Barcelona. Whilst the reason for Aubameyang’s disciplinary breach was not revealed, Arteta has always given plenty of importance to his ‘non-negotiables’ at the Emirates Stadium.
Speaking in August last year, he said: "First of all, respect. The second one is commitment and the third is passion. Those three ingredients are non-negotiable. If you have them then I am sure we will do great things together."
