Arsenal set conditions to sign Victor Osimhen as Berta ‘makes contact’ over another £120m-rated star
Arsenal are still hoping to sign a big-name striker in a blockbuster deal before the transfer window slams shut, with reports in France claiming the Gunners have laid out their conditions over the signing of Victor Osimhen, but with Fabrizio Romano also revealing contact has now been made for another £120m-rated star.
The Premier League champions got their title defence off to a winning start on Friday evening as Coventry City were swept aside 3-0 with relative ease. Kai Havertz set the ball rolling for Arsenal with a sweeping finish, illustrating his efficiency in front of goal and justifying Mikel Arteta’s decision to select him over Viktor Gyokeres.
However, the Gunners have not hidden away from the quest to sign a new centre forward this summer and have long been linked with a move to sign Atletico Madrid frontman Julian Alvarez.
Indeed, the Argentina star has made no secret of his desire to quit the Spanish capital this summer, with his express wish to join Barcelona made crystal clear in the media.
Understandably, Atletico are refusing to strengthen a direct rival and have made it clear they intend to block the deal – just as they did earlier this summer when the same player was the subject of an offer from city rivals, Real Madrid.
An update from our transfer correspondent, Graeme Bailey, on Friday confirmed that Arsenal remain on standby over a deal for Alvarez, despite the striker making clear his priority remains on a move to Catalonia.
Per Bailey, the Gunners retain hope of signing the £120m-rated star.
Now, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Arsenal have held talks over a potential deal, revealing: ‘Arsenal made contact with Atlético Madrid to discuss Julián Álvarez deal conditions.
‘Direct meeting took place in London with Atléti director Mateu Alemany.
‘Price currently too high + Julián never opened doors to England so far as wanted to join Barça… but #AFC tried.’
As a result, Arsenal are now opening the doors to a potential move for Osimhen, though again, that move also looks fraught with difficulties…
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Arsenal set conditions to sign Osimhen
Indeed, the Nigerian striker has proved one of the world’s most deadly strikers in recent seasons, notching an impressive 63 goals in 77 appearances for Galatasaray since joining the Turkish side in a surprise switch from Napoli two summers ago.
The only surprise is, perhaps, that he has not wound up in the Premier League yet, though Arsenal could be about to change that after reports in France claimed they had made contact over a deal.
To that end, French outlet Foot Mercato claims Osimhen is high on the Gunners’ wishlist, though they have warned the striker he will need to take a drastic salary reduction if he is to move to London.
Their report confirms that Arsenal have ‘no intention’ of making an unreasonable offer regarding his salary, with the player currently earning over €20 million net per year at Galatasaray.
They claim that figure (£320,000 a week after tax) is a salary that no European club can currently afford. Despite this barrier, the reigning English champions remain highly interested and hope to sign the former Lille striker if he lowers his demands.
They state that, with a few days left in the window, the ball is now in Osimhen’s court over whether to bow to the Gunners’ demands, with his wages, were it to be matched – and owing to English tax laws – costing Arsenal £640,000 a week – a figure they are, understandably, unwilling to pay.
Earlier this season, Joe Cole said on the Dressing Room podcast that a move to sign Osimhen would secure Arsenal back-to-back titles: “I’ve been flipping and I’m going to put an asterisk on this.
“I think Man City win the title if Arsenal don’t bring in a No. 9 because I still think that will be a problem for them.
“So I’m going to go Man City to win the league ahead of Arsenal, but if they bring in Victor Osimhen, I would flip it back. But as it stands, I’m going for Man City.”
Former Premier League striker Carlton Cole added: “Arsenal have the best squad, and if they get Victor Osimhen in they’re going to be flying; he could be top goalscorer if he comes.”
Mikel Arteta has also been asked about further additions to his Arsenal squad after Friday’s win over Coventry, and he said: “I’m really happy with the squad that we have, and the main focus is to improve the players we already have, as we already have a lot of good things.”
One man who could be moved before the window shuts to help finance any future moves is Gabriel Martinelli.
In that regard, our transfer correspondent, Fraser Fletcher, has provided a big update on his chances of securing an exit this summer.
The Brazilian’s treatment, though, has angered Ian Wright, who has scolded the Gunners for the way they have handled his situation.
