Arsenal have NOT tabled a €90m (£76m) offer for Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, according to journalist Freddie Paxton.
The reporter (who has worked for The Guardian and The Times) claims that stories in Italy which suggested the Gunners had made a club-record bid for the Nigerian international are not true:
Rumours about Arsenal’s €90m bid for Victor Osimhen: FALSE ❌
— Freddie Paxton (@Freddie_Paxton) May 21, 2022
Supporters on Twitter had a mixed reaction to the news, with some still believing that Osimhen should be a key target for Arsenal ahead of the summer transfer window:
Knew it
— name: yega (@YegaDonSmith) May 21, 2022
I thought as much
— Emmanuel Humble (@Mrhumble_e) May 21, 2022
They should go for him though.
— Vijit Makhloga (@Viz_Mk) May 21, 2022
I would be shocked if we had bid that amount, but of course it’s nonsense! We’re not blowing the budget on a single player.
— yater21🌊🏄🇺🇦 (@yater1) May 21, 2022
I don’t need Osimhen in Arsenal… Not our kind of player
— Usman Aminu Inuwa (@UsmanAminuInuw3) May 22, 2022
Missed a lot of the season. And guy’s like 22. Which other striker would you prefer?
— Christo Bam (@ChristoBam01) May 21, 2022
Osimhen is also reportedly on Manchester United and Newcastle’s radar, but Napoli are not expected to sell the 23-year-old on the cheap. The Serie A club are believed to be holding out for a fee in the region of €100m (£84.5m).
For someone whose injury record over the past couple of seasons hasn’t exactly been spotless, that is a lot of money. It remains to be seen whether Osimhen or another player will emerge as Arsenal’s main target to strengthen their options up front.