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On a recent episode of the Dressing Room podcast, former England midfielder Joe Cole delivered a straight verdict that Arsenal will not retain the Premier League title unless they bring in a proper centre-forward before the transfer window slams shut. Cole, never one to sit on the fence, identified Victor Osimhen specifically as the difference-maker.
The Galatasaray striker is understood to be back on Arsenal’s radar following a reported price drop to €75 million, per Metro and Turkish outlets. Carlton Cole echoed the sentiment, suggesting Osimhen would make Arsenal “fly.” The podcast also touched on Chelsea, with Joe Cole backing Xabi Alonso‘s revamped side for a third-place finish, citing the absence of European football as a genuine advantage heading into the new campaign.
‘I’ve been flipping, and I’m going to put an asterisk on this.
‘I think Man City win the title if Arsenal don’t bring in a No. 9 because I still think that will be a problem for them.
‘So I’m going to go with Man City to win the league ahead of Arsenal, but if they bring in Victor Osimhen, I would flip it back. But as it stands I’m going for Man City.’
The tactical question no one at Arsenal wants to answer
Arsenal won’t collapse without Osimhen. That much is clear. Mikel Arteta has built an extraordinarily fluid system where Kai Havertz thrives in the false-nine position, giving Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli licence to devastate defences from wider areas. It works. It’s delivered elite domestic consistency and last season’s title.
But there’s a specific kind of game where this Arsenal side go quiet: tight, low-block encounters against organised defences that absorb pressure and force the Gunners into over-elaborate passing sequences. Against those teams, they don’t have a blunt instrument. No one who grabs a game by the throat on a bad day.
Osimhen is precisely that player. 15 goals and five assists in 22 Süper Lig games last season, plus seven goals in 10 Champions League appearances. The 27-year-old Nigerian carried Galatasaray almost single-handedly at times. His aerial presence alone forces centre-backs deeper, which automatically opens lanes for Arsenal’s midfield to exploit. He scored a brace against Çorum FK on 15 August, barely five days ago. He’s in form and available.
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Joe Cole Arsenal signing calls don’t come louder than this, and at €75 million with the deadline approaching, the window to act is razor thin. His wage demands complicate everything; that’s honest. But the alternative is walking another title race on a tightrope Arsenal have already nearly fallen off twice.