Victor Osimhen to Arsenal: "A very concrete link" as Gunners weigh up spectacular move for 27-year-old

As Arsenal are linked with a summer move for Galatasaray forward Victor Osimhen, Sports Mole's Site Coordinator Ben Knapton discusses a potential switch for the 27-year-old.

Ben Knapton, Site Coordinator: "He has been scoring at a ridiculous rate"

His name has been mentioned in Arsenal circles for years and years. Going back to when he was at Lille, there were tentative links. 

When he was at Napoli, he was always linked with one of the big six. Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Spurs were always mentioned. 

Arsenal have had their eye on him for a long time already. When he went to Galatasaray, it was a big shock at first, but he was frozen out of the Napoli squad. 

The major transfer windows in Europe had closed, so the Turkish window stayed open longer, and he found safe haven there. He has been scoring at a ridiculous rate. 

Arsenal are in discussions with Galatasaray over Ethan Nwaneri and Gabriel Martinelli, and it seems Andrea Berta puts so many eggs in his transfer basket. 

It has not been clarified who brought up Osimhen in the conversations, whether it was Galatasaray or Arsenal, but there does seem to be a very concrete link. 

Whether that would be a separate deal from the Nwaneri and Martinelli discussions, or a part-exchange, remains to be seen. 

There is potential for something spectacular, with three players potentially moving in opposite directions. There is the caveat that Al-Hilal bid £111 million for Osimhen, which Galatasaray rejected, stating he was not for sale. 

Given that Galatasaray appear to like Nwaneri and Martinelli, that could yet sway them. There is more of a chance of Arsenal signing Osimhen than Vinicius Junior, especially given the leverage with Martinelli. 

With Nwaneri also involved, it remains a surprise, but there is a slightly better chance than with the Vinicius Junior links. 

The stats in Serie A and the Super League are impressive, but it is not directly comparable to doing it in the Premier League. 

He has also been doing it in the Champions League. He has 16 goals in 27 Champions League games, with vital contributions against Liverpool, Juventus and Barcelona. 

That shows he can do it against the big teams. He is 6'1”, an incredible aerial presence, and can score with both feet. The signing of Bruno Guimaraes, who will win so many free kicks, creates an even bigger aerial threat in the box. 

Arsenal would break so many more set-piece records with Osimhen in the squad. The concerns over his temperament are noted, and his injury record is not the cleanest. 

He has managed to avoid serious injuries, but over the past two seasons he has frequently picked up minor knocks. Missing two or three games at a time has been quite frequent, and availability is the best ability. 

Kai Havertz's availability over the last two seasons has not been great either. If the question is whether to take Osimhen over Gyokeres or Havertz, the answer is yes.