Arsenal 'turned down' chance to sign Victor Osimhen for one simple reason (original) (raw)

Napoli striker Victor Osimhen joined Galatasaray on loan this summer, with Arsenal turning down the opportunity to bring the 25-year-old to the Emirates for one major reason

Arsenal turned down the chance to sign Victor Osimhen

Arsenal reportedly rejected the chance to sign Victor Osimhen this summer because they felt the Napoli striker was simply too expensive.

Osimhen was heavily linked with a move away from Napoli this summer, with the likes of Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli all interested in the 25-year-old's services.

However, Osimhen failed to seal a permanent transfer and ended up joining Galatasaray on a season-long loan instead, with Napoli having already signed Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea as his replacement.

It has now emerged that Arsenal were also offered Osimhen, but balked at the idea of paying his release clause. According to reports, it would have cost Arsenal more than £100million to sign Osimhen and they were 'never prepared' to pay that kind of fee.

Arsenal have long been linked with a move for Osimhen and the player even turned them down during Arsene Wenger's time in charge, having attracted plenty of interest after starring for Nigeria at the U17 World Cup in 2015.

"I spoke with Arsene Wenger after the tournament ended and he wanted me to come to Arsenal," he told theIndependentin 2020. "I had a lot of options. Barcelona; Inter Milan; Atletico Madrid; Juventus and the rest.

"Arsenal was a good option but it wasn't the best at the time," he explained. "I wanted to start playing as soon as I turned 18. I wanted to go to a place where I had time to invest in my game and improve physically. Wolfsburg showed me that possibility."

Osimhen ended up joining Galatasaray on loan (

Image:

Anadolu via Getty Images)

Arsenal ended up not signing a striker this summer, with manager Mikel Arteta persisting with Kai Havertz up front. Instead, they completed deals for defender Riccardo Calafiori, midfielder Mikel Merino, winger Raheem Sterling and goalkeeper Neto.

They also cashed in on the likes of Emile Smith Rowe, Eddie Nketiah and Aaron Ramsdale, while Reiss Nelson, Fabio Vieira, Karl Hein and Marquinhos have all left the club on loan.

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

Sky has slashed the price of its Sky Sports, Sky Stream, Sky TV and Netflix bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £216 and includes 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.

With Ultra HD included at no extra cost, football fans can enjoy the 2024/25 season with crystal clear picture quality.