Jose Mourinho has drawn comparisons between Napoli star Victor Osimhen and Chelsea legend Didier Drogba, hinting that Arsenal could be missing a trick by not securing his services. Osimhen, 25, has been making a splash in Serie A over the past few seasons, netting an impressive 65 league goals since his switch from Lille in 2020.
His quick and powerful style of play has attracted the interest of several Premier League clubs, including Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United – as well as French heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain. The Gunners are in the market for a top-tier striker, as Gabriel Jesus hasn’t made much of an impact since his move from Manchester City in 2022.
If they had a prolific number 9 in their ranks, Arsenal might have clinched Premier League glory in their last two campaigns instead of falling short against City in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons, missing out by a mere two points last term.
Last year, Mourinho compared Osimhen to Drogba, who netted 104 goals and provided 55 assists at Stamford Bridge between 2004 and 2015, bagging two Golden Boots and four Premier League titles. In 2023, the iconic manager said: “He is of the same level as Drogba, but Didier didn’t dive. If Victor changes, then OK, I’d buy him if I was at a club with a lot of money.
“However, if he does go to England one day, he needs to change, because in Italy they put up with this sort of behaviour, whereas in the Premier League, they’d come down hard on him.” Arsenal might be setting their sights on snapping up Osimhen for the 2024/25 season, but they could be looking at shelling out his hefty £113million release clause.
The Nigerian striker recently penned a new deal with Napoli until 2026, ensuring his stay at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. Osimhen’s market value sits at a cool £84m as per Transfermarkt, and while Napoli might consider an offer in that ballpark, it’s still a significant sum for the Gunners, who reportedly have a wage bill of £164,476,000 for the upcoming 2024/25 season.
Chelsea, after a lacklustre sixth-place finish in the Premier League last term, are also in the hunt for a leading striker and have shown interest in Osimhen. But it seems like both clubs could miss out, with PSG appearing to be the frontrunners in the chase for his signature this summer.
With Kylian Mbappe’s mammoth £26.2million annual salary off their books following his move to Real Madrid on a free transfer, PSG are on the lookout for someone to fill his boots. Mbappe’s impressive tally of 191 goals and 74 assists for PSG from 2018 to 2024 will be sorely missed by the Ligue 1 giants following his departure.
Should Chelsea’s pursuit of Osimhen fall through, manager Enzo Maresca has a plethora of alternatives lined up for Stamford Bridge, including Viktor Gyokeres, Karim Adeyemi and Maximilian Beier. Meanwhile, Arsenal could be on the verge of losing another forward, with Eddie Nketiah reportedly keen on a move to Marseille after an approach from the Ligue 1 outfit, who recently secured the services of Mason Greenwood from United.
