Victor Osimhen: Which Premier League club should the striker join?
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Victor Osimhen: Which Premier League club should the striker join?
Osimhen has been linked with a number of Premier League clubs
Man Utd, Chelsea and Arsenal all need a striker
The Napoli star is set to command a fee in excess of £100m
By Jack Gallagher
3:00 AM GMT
Wanted man
Wanted man / Alessandro Sabattini/GettyImages
Victor Osimhen has dominated gossip columns across Europe for the best part of a year.
The striker, thanks to his incredible form at SSC Napoli, has become the hottest property in Europe heading into the summer transfer window with a host of Premier League clubs all keen to sign him.
So which club should he join?
Well that's what we're here to find out.
By enlisting the help of 90min's resident Arsenal (Harry Symeou), Chelsea (Tom Gott), and Manchester United (Scott Saunders) experts, we've assessed the pros and cons for each club signing Osimhen this summer.
Arsenal
Mikel Arteta
Arteta is a top manager / Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/GettyImages
Pros:
Joining a team who are creating enough chances to plunder 21 goals in their last four Premier League games despite not having a prolific number nine?
That's a dream scenario for any prolific striker, and that's exactly what Osimhen is. The 25-year-old's goal record at Napoli speaks for itself - 61 in 99 Serie A games - and his presence in and around the box lead many to believe that he'll bring that form to the Premier League too.
Given the other clubs he's linked with, Osimhen would also be a statement signing for the Gunners.
Cons:
The potential fee is the main one.
With a £112m price tag on his head, and a notoriously difficult negotiator in Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis to try and convince that valuation is unreasonable, Arsenal will be expected to be pay over the odds to sign the forward.
And if they do sign him, questions will remain over whether or not Osimhen is the right tactical fit for Mikel Arteta's side. Can he press in the final third to an adequate standard? Can he be a facilitator for Arsenal's wide players in the same way Gabriel Jesus is? It's all up in the air right now.
Chelsea
Victor Osimhen
Heavily linked with Chelsea / Ivan Romano/GettyImages
Pros:
With photos doing the rounds on social media of a young Osimhen wearing a Chelsea shirt, signing a player who actually loves the club is a huge plus.
The fact that he has been a consistent goalscorer across three leagues (Belgian Pro League, Ligue 1 and Serie A) and his physical presence also suggest he could actually be the answer to Chelsea's recent number nine curse and, at the very least, be a huge upgrade on Nicolas Jackson.
Cons:
Again, the fee.
Despite signing a lot of players in recent seasons, the current Chelsea squad still requires a lot of work and signing a player as expensive as Osimhen would limit the club's capacity to resolve other problem areas in the squad.
Osimhen's recent list of hamstring and muscle injuries may also be a red flag for Chelsea too. The Blues already have plenty of senior players with patchy fitness records (here's looking at you, Reece James), so it's hard to the club jumping at the chance to sign another one.
Manchester United
Sir Jim Ratcliffe
Joining the Ratcliffe revolution? / Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/GettyImages
Pros:
Manchester United lack quality options up front, and Osimhen is probably the highest quality forward that will be on the market this summer. With Bruno Fernandes whipping the ball into the box, the forward would pretty much guarantee goals at Old Trafford
Another upside to landing Osimhen would be the fact that United's rivals can't sign him.
Cons:
United's current financial situation and sheer volume of holes in their squad (here's looking at you, defence and midfield), means that investing over £100m on one player probably wouldn't be smart.
Under new INEOS control, the Red Devils need to make clever, much less expensive, signings in order strengthen the team as a whole.
Another huge drawback for signing Osimhen would also be the fact that it would potentially stunt the development of Rasmus Hojlund. The young striker had, prior to a recent minor injury, come on leaps and bounds since the turn of the year, and it would be a shame not continue to cultivate his talents and make him the club's marquee number nine moving forward.
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