Arsenal head into this summer transfer window very much like Manchester United did during Sir Alex Ferguson’s final season at Old Trafford.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal were pipped to the Premier League title by Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City following some poor results towards the end of the season.
The similarites between the Gunners and Manchester United heading into Sir Alex Ferguson’s final season are stark.
Ferguson went into the summer window wanting a new first choice striker to try and pip City to the title after Roberto Mancini’s side won the trophy on the final day of the season thanks to the iconic goal of Sergio Aguero.
Arteta could follow Ferguson’s lead
United then went on to sign Robin Van Persie from Arsenal for £24 million and the Dutchman fired the Red Devils to title glory.
Arteta could take some inspiration from the Scotsman with a world-class striker signing of his own to fire the North London club to the title.
RB Leipzig forward Benjamin Sesko was understood to be the club’s top priority striker signing but the Slovenian international signed a new long-term contract at the German side but with a release clause included for 2025.
This has forced the Gunners to shift their attention with Bologna forward Joshua Zirkzee the next name to be linked with a move.
However, if the Gunners want to wrestle the Premier League title out of the grips of Guardiola, it is Napoli striker Victor Osimhen who the club should target.
Osimhen could be Arteta’s Van Persie
Van Persie’s signing at Old Trafford was significant because the Red Devils were getting a world-class striker in his pomp and also cherry picking one of their biggest rivals’ best players.
With Osimhen, this would not be the case but a world-class striker in his pomp is certainly what the Nigerian is at this moment in time, despite the struggles that the Italian sides endured last season.
Despite playing just 25 Serie A games, Osimhen still netted 15 times for the club. During the previous season in which Napoli won the Scudetto, Osimhen netted 26 times in 32 games in the top division of Italian football.
Former boss Luciano Spalletti was often full of praise for the Nigerian, after Napoli’s 5-1 win over Juventus, he told Reuters: “Osimhen is such a great striker. I am stunned by the potential he has and excited to see what he’ll do in future.”
Whether Arsenal would be able to afford Osimhen is another question entirely, but if the Gunners managed to pull a deal off, it would send a statement of real intent to the rest of the Premier League, namely City.
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