Pundit Owen Hargreaves cannot believe Arsenal didn’t try to sign Galatasaray loanee Victor Osimhen during the winter transfer window.
The Gunners are crying out for a new striker. They have been toothless in front of goal this season, scoring only 38 goals from open play andsittingfifth in our Premier League table for this statistic.
Injuries to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus have added to Arsenal’s woes after they failed to sign a new striker in January and last summer.
Arsenal made RB Leipzig standout Benjamin Sekso their main target last summer and they opted against signing an alternative after the Slovenia international signed a new contract.
Mikel Arteta‘s side were forced into the market for a new striker in January after Havertz and Jesus suffered injuries as they had a bid for Aston Villa star Ollie Watkins swiftly rejected.
READ: 16 Conclusions on Man United 1-1 Arsenal: Arteta’s obsession, Amorim’s compromise and Neville’s wall
Osimhen has also been sporadically linked with Arsenal over the past year and he could move to the Premier League during this summer’s transfer window.
A report over the weekend claimed Arsenal have had a £62m offer accepted for Osimhen, though this is hard to believe and probably premature.
Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain targeted Osimhen last summer but he joined Galatasaray on loan as a short-term solution after potential moves to the Premier League or Ligue Un did not come off.
Hargreaves reckons Arsenal should have at least tried to sign Osimhen on loan in January for an “audition to see if it fits”.
“If you look at Arsenal, they have a player like Declan Rice in every position apart from up there [in attack] and it’s the most important position. But there are guys out there,” Hargreaves said on Premier League Productions.
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“Osimhen is on loan in Turkey. Even if it was for six months like that, it gives you a window and an audition to see if it fits.
“You look at the business Aston Villa did in January – Marcus Rashford, Asensio, Disasi – crazy amount of business.
“If you don’t ask, you don’t get, and I think Arsenal are this close to anything you want, but you need someone up there to take the load of others. I really think they just need to push the boat out in the summer and get someone.”
Speaking last month, Osimhen remained coy when asked about his future.
“To be honest I don’t know,” Osimhen admitted. “You know the last few months, nobody ever thought I would come here, I never believed I would come to Galatasaray despite how big they are.
“I live for the moment. I don’t know what will happen in the summer, but I want everybody to understand that I really love this club.
“I love the fans, I love the President, I love everyone associated with the club. It’s really a big deal to be here and I’m really enjoying my time here.”