'They regret it now': pundit on Arsenal missing out on Osimhen
Victor Osimhen has been one of the most prolific strikers in European football since leaving Napoli, and according to former Strasbourg forward Simon Zenke, Arsenal are among the clubs who should be kicking themselves for letting him slip away.
Osimhen eventually joined Galatasaray in Turkiye after a proposed move to Chelsea collapsed over wage demands. Arsenal were also keeping tabs on the Nigerian at the time, but neither club pushed the deal over the line.
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Zenke's comments
Speaking to Türkiye Gazetesi, via Habersarikirmizi, Zenke said he was baffled that Arsenal and Manchester United did not go all in for the striker when he was available.
“I think it was a real opportunity transfer for Galatasaray because his value was over 100 million Euros (N152 billion) at the time. I was really surprised that none of the big European clubs like Arsenal and Manchester United, who needed a striker at the time, were after him. I think they regret it now after seeing his performance in Türkiye,” Zenke said.
Osimhen has continued to perform at a high level since his move to Turkiye, reinforcing the idea among some observers that he could have thrived in the Premier League had a move materialised.
Arsenal's striker situation
Arsenal ultimately moved for Viktor Gyokeres instead, a signing that has not silenced those who felt a different number nine was needed. Comparisons between the two strikers have persisted, particularly given Osimhen's continued output abroad.
Any route back for Arsenal to sign Osimhen now looks complicated. A transfer would likely only become realistic if he departs Galatasaray as a free agent, with interest from Arsenal dependent on his willingness to move to north London at that stage.
Mikel Arteta's side have shown they can set standards and get results through the structure and detail Arteta demands, but the debate over whether the club has the firepower up front to match its ambitions is unlikely to go away soon.
With transfer windows still to come, the question of whether Arsenal revisit their interest in a player of Osimhen's profile, or back their current options to deliver, remains firmly open.
