Some signings buy you time.
Others buy you what you actually need.
Having spent £60 million on Viktor Gyokeres last summer, he’s somewhat repaid that, with 18 goals in 48 appearances.
Not a disaster by any stretch, but not the transformative presence Mikel Arteta was searching for either.
Having scored in their 1-1 draw vs Atletico Madrid, Arsenal may look to already replace him.
Arsenal sporting director personally scouts Victor Osimhen
According to AS, Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta travelled to Istanbul at the weekend to attend the Galatasaray vs Fenerbahce derby, with Victor Osimhen identified as his primary scouting target.
Berta held direct conversations with Galatasaray’s hierarchy to gather firsthand information about the Nigerian’s potential availability.
Osimhen was a revelation at Napoli before his move to Turkey, and he’s been equally devastating since arriving at Galatasaray.
57 goals in 72 appearances, scoring 20 goals this season alone.
Osimhen also opened the scoring in Saturday’s 3-0 derby win, the game Berta watched in person.
Galatasaray paid over £63 million to sign him from Napoli last summer, and they aren’t going to let him go cheaply.
However, Berta’s trip to Istanbul wasn’t solely about Osimhen.
He also scouted Galatasaray winger Baris Alper Yilmaz, a Turkish international who has caught the eye of several clubs across Europe.
Osimhen, however, remains the centrepiece of this particular conversation for Arsenal.
His contract at Galatasaray runs until 2029, which means the Turkish club hold all the leverage.
There’ll be no distressed sale. No negotiations from a position of weakness.
But for a player who knows he could earn significantly more in the Premier League, the pull of a move to north London under a manager building toward a title challenge is a compelling one.
Berta has made clear he isn’t putting all his eggs in one basket.
However, personally flying to Istanbul to watch a player tells you exactly how serious this interest has become.
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