Izuchukwu Okosi
Arsenal are preparing audacious moves in the transfer market for Nigeria international Victor Osimhen and Brazil/Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus with the of sum of £135.5m (about ₦68.2B) reports Prime Business Africa.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe Super Eagles striker Osimhen has been valued at €100m by his Italian side Napoli who are poised for a run in the UEFA Champions League while Arsenal are reported in the English media to offer £50m for Jesus today (Thursday, June 16).
Should Arsenal table a reasonable fee for the former youth international, Osimhen, who recently scored four goals in Nigeria’s 10-0 whitewash of Sao Tome and Principe in a 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Agadir, Morocco, the Serie A club will be keen to sell.
Osimhen who now has 15 international goals for Nigeria finished the 2021/2022 campaign for his club with 14 goals and five assists in 27 Serie A appearances.
Manchester United are also reportedly interested in a move but the Gunners has once made an offer to the Nigerian after his FIFA U-17 World Cup heroics in 2015.
The transfer window officially opened on Friday, June 10, with Arsenal yet to make a, significant inroads in the market albeit 19-year-old prodigy Marquinhos has been bought from Brazilian side Sao Paulo.
Jesus on his part worked with Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta when the latter was assistant to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. With the duo of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette now leaving Arsenal, the Gunners are in need of firepower upfront.
The lure of living in London despite no Champions League appearance this incoming for the club might swing Jesus’s decision in favour of the hierarchy at Arsenal.
Nigerian-Briton Folarin Balogun is the only striker at the club with Eddie Nketiah’s contract set to run out this summer although talks are ongoing to extend the deal.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
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