Chelsea now have the upper hand against Arsenal in race to sign Victor Osimhen
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Arsenal's pursuit of Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo has given Premier League rivals Chelsea and Manchester United an edge in their pursuit of Napoli striker Victor Osimhen.
Osimhen has been superb for Napoli this season, scoring 22 goals in just 27 Serie A games to help his side win their first league title since 1990. Many prestigious clubs in Europe interested in signing him this summer due to his performances. The German champion, Bayern Munich, has almost no chance due to the high price tag for the Nigerian player. Bayern Munich are currently said to be hunting Eintracht Frankfurt striker Randal Kolo Muani.
Osimhen's move to the Premier League seems like the most likely outcome given the high level of investment in the UK. Osimhen is among the players contacted by both Man Utd and Chelsea, both in dire need of a No. 9. Surprisingly, Arsenal were also mentioned in relation to the 24-year-old. But this summer, Mikel Arteta's side are set to look for a new midfielder, with West Ham and England's Declan Rice said to be their main targets.
Rice's price is expected to be at least 80m, which would certainly be a significant chunk of Arsenal's transfer budget, making the purchase of a high-priced striker unlikely. Should Arteta decide to add a new striker, it could be Raphinha, whom the London side wanted to sign last year before Barcelona bought him from Leeds. Moreover, according to ESPN, Man Utd and Chelsea have an advantage in pursuing Osimhen when Arsenal prioritize adding reinforcements to the midfield.
Journalist Jon Molyneux-Carter said on his website: "Arsenal have had a great season and have also been linked with Osimhen, but they are more likely to bring in a central midfielder. "The club almost spent 70m signing Moises Caicedo from Brighton in January and could either come back for him, or focus on Declan Rice from West Ham." Despite investing heavily in first-team players over the past year, Molyneux-Carter says Chelsea "probably" will try to add a striker this summer and should be prepared to spend "a lot of money". ".
Osimhen is expected to cost 'more than 130 million euros' despite interest from the Blues, Man Utd, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain. Chelsea's inability to score has been one of their main problems so far this season. Despite spending close to 600m on several new players, the club's recruitment department have been unable to sign a proven goalscorer.
In fact, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who is past his prime and has barely played since the start of the year, is the only naturalized striker they have signed.
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