Arsenal make approach to sign £162,000-a-week star for Arteta after U-turn

Arsenal have made an approach to sign a £162,000-per-week forward for manager Mikel Arteta, coming after a U-turn behind-the-scenes.

Arteta tipped to sign new striker at Arsenal despite Havertz form

Kai Havertz resurrected his debut campaign at Arsenal after a slow start to life at the Emirates last term, impressing in a makeshift forward role and ending 2023/2024 with 14 goals and seven assists in all competitions.

He’s a man in demand…

Havertz has been praised for his Arsenal form since the turn of the year, which could be worrying for striker Gabriel Jesus, following the Brazilian’s lacklustre 23/24 campaign blighted by fitness issues and overall lack of form.

Arteta is rumoured to be keen on a striking partner for Havertz, while the Spaniard also reportedly wants an alternative to Jesus going forward. Arsenal did attempt a deal to sign RB Leipzig sensation Benjamin Sesko earlier this window, but to no avail, with the Slovenian penning an extension at his current club instead.

Another ambitious target comes in the form of Napoli star Victor Osimhen, with the Nigerian widely tipped to leave the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium if interested sides can reach an agreement with club president Aurelio De Laurentiis.

“We still can’t rule out Arsenal in the race for Osimhen,” said Jacobs in February.

“It’s also true that PSG have Osimhen very, very high on their list of targets and can move in the market because they will free up money due to Kylian Mbappe’s departure. I’m still told by sources that Osimhen’s priority is the Premier League, which is encouraging for Chelsea and Arsenal. He would be looking for about £250,000 per week, which Arsenal, Chelsea and PSG would all be happy to pay.”

Arsenal make new Osimhen approach after U-turn behind-the-scenes

Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport have an update on Arsenal’s links to Osimhen, claiming they’ve re-joined the race, with Arteta’s side seemingly pulling a U-turn after cooling their interest.

Meanwhile, they face competition from PSG and Chelsea, who are also in the picture for Osimhen. Former Napoli boss Rudi Garcia has described his ex-star as a “crazy driving force”, and this is backed by his excellent Serie A goalscoring record.