Arsenal Eye Victor Osimhen as New Centre-Forward Target

Arsenal are weighing up a bold move for Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen as the search for a new centre-forward intensifies, with Manchester United stepping away from the race.

Mikel Arteta’s side poured £64million into Viktor Gyokeres last summer, but the feeling inside the club is clear: they still lack a truly elite No 9 who can tilt tight games and carry them deep into the Champions League. Julian Alvarez has been the preferred option, the ideal blend of work rate and star quality, and he has already informed Atletico Madrid he wants out to chase the game’s biggest prizes – the Champions League and the Ballon d’Or.

There is a problem. Alvarez dreams of Barcelona. Atleti, sensing his value and his leverage, are demanding upwards of €200m (£171m). That price, and the player’s preference, drag Arsenal back to the drawing board.

So Osimhen’s name is back on the table.

The Galatasaray forward has long made it clear he wants a crack at the Premier League. According to TEAMtalk, both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have been holding internal discussions about whether to move for the Nigerian, exploring what it would take to prise him away from Istanbul.

United, once heavily linked and long-term admirers, have cooled their interest. The numbers are simply too big for them at this stage, and their retreat leaves a clearer path for the north London rivals.

Nothing is close. No bids, no formal talks, no breakthrough. Just interest, calculations, and a sense that a window of opportunity might be opening if someone is brave enough to go through it.

Reports in recent weeks have floated a potential fee as low as €65m (£55.5m), a figure that would make Osimhen one of the bargains of the decade. Galatasaray are under no obligation to play along. With three years left on his contract and his status as one of Europe’s top No 9s, the Turkish champions are expected to push for a figure far nearer £100m.

That is only half the equation.

Osimhen’s wages represent an even steeper climb. TEAMtalk’s report outlines demands in the region of £400,000 per week for a Premier League move – the same level that helped derail his proposed transfer to Chelsea in 2024. For Arsenal and Spurs, that kind of salary would rip through existing wage structures and force some uncomfortable internal conversations.

At Arsenal, there is also the question of priorities. With Gyokeres already leading the line, some within the club might argue it makes more sense for sporting director Andrea Berta to channel resources into a new left winger rather than another centre-forward.

That department has already brought frustration. Morgan Rogers has slipped away. Vinicius Junior will not be coming. Bradley Barcola is admired, but Liverpool currently sit in pole position for the Frenchman.

If those doors close, Arsenal’s gaze will have to sharpen elsewhere. Nico Williams, Kenan Yildiz and Iliman Ndiaye are all on the radar, all potential solutions to the imbalance on the flank.

So the club stands at a crossroads: double down on the wide areas, or tear up the plan and go all-in on a marquee No 9 in Osimhen.

The internal talks have started. The next move will say everything about how ambitious Arsenal really are.