BREAKING NEWS:Arsenal have finalized the £70m transfer of a new striker following Nketiah’s exit. The player will have a medical examination tomorrow, with an official announcement expected in the morning.

Arsenal recently announced the acquisition of defender Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna and are now targeting Mikel Merino from Real Sociedad.

Additionally, the club might pursue a high-profile centre-forward. According to Corriere (page 10), Arsenal have decided to enter the competition for Napoli’s Victor Osimhen.

Paris Saint-Germain has been negotiating with Napoli for weeks, but their £76 million offer was rejected by the Serie A champions of 2022/23.

Chelsea has been attempting a part-exchange deal involving Romelu Lukaku, but reports suggest that the 25-year-old striker is not interested in joining the Blues.

Corriere notes that Arsenal, long-time admirers of Osimhen, are in a stronger position to secure his signature.

However, Arsenal should avoid overpaying for Osimhen. Despite his status as one of the most sought-after strikers in world football, clubs are hesitant to spend large sums due to his injury history.

The Nigerian striker missed 15 games for club and country last season due to various injuries and has been sidelined for a total of 67 matches since joining Napoli from Lille in 2020.

This injury record is a red flag for interested clubs. Arsenal, already dealing with Gabriel Jesus’ injury issues, should be cautious about making a significant financial commitment to Osimhen.

Napoli is looking for more than £84 million, with club president Aurelio De Laurentiis preferring a fee closer to the £110 million release clause in Osimhen’s contract, added last year.

In our view, Arsenal should refrain from overpaying for Osimhen, whom Jose Mourinho described as ‘world-class’ in December 2023 while managing Roma.

Osimhen scored 17 goals for Napoli last season, but Arsenal needs a more dependable striker to compete for the league title. Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres might be a better option.

Gyokeres had an impressive debut season with Sporting, scoring 43 goals. He has an excellent fitness record, having never missed a club game due to injury.

Moreover, Gyokeres is more skilled with the ball and can create opportunities, evidenced by his 15 assists in all competitions last season compared to Osimhen’s four.