Emmanuel Petit has criticised Arsenal’s pursuit of Ollie Watkins, urging the Gunners to target Victor Osimhen insteadAston Villa rejected Arsenal’s £60M bid for Watkins, setting a £100m price tag on the England strikerOsimhen has scored 17 goals this season for Galatasaray this season, proving his quality as a top-tier forward
Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit has voiced his displeasure over the Gunners transfer priorities, questioning why the North London club have yet to pursue Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen.
Instead, Arsenal have reportedly submitted a £60 million bid for Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, which was promptly rejected by the Premier League club.
Victor Osimhen is no longer Arsenal’s priority in the January transfer window. Photo by Anadolu
Source: Getty Images
Victor Osimhen has been in red-hot form, even after joining Galatasaray on loan. The Nigerian forward scored in Galatasaray’s 2-1 Europa League loss to Ajax, marking his fourth consecutive goal in the competition.
The Napoli loanee has now netted 17 goals in all competitions this season, including five in the Europa League, per Transfermarkt.
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His consistent performances make him a strong candidate to lead Arsenal’s attack, yet Arteta appears more interested in pursuing Watkins.
The Super Eagles striker has been in fine form, raising questions about why Mikel Arteta’s side has opted for an unproven English forward over a proven goal scorer.
Why Osimhen is the perfect fit for Arsenal
Petit believes that Arsenal would be better off targeting Osimhen, who has consistently delivered at the highest level after his antecedents with Lille, Napoli, and recently Galatasaray.
The Arsenal legend insists that Arteta’s decision is a mistake, stating that Osimhen’s proven goal-scoring record, physicality, and big-game experience make him the ideal fit for Arsenal’s title ambitions, Daily Post reports.
”The potential signing of Ollie Watkins to Arsenal feels like a bit of a panic buy. He wasn’t the first-choice target, but with the January transfer window nearing its end, they have had to act.
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”I’m fairly certain Arsenal would have preferred a different striker. However, there would have been a few names ahead of Ollie Watkins that Arsenal wanted. Alexander Isak possesses everything Arsenal would want and need in an out-and-out striker.
“I think Victor Osimhen would also have been on the list, but perhaps his personality and character could have been a problem going forward for Arsenal.’’
Arsenal told to meet £100m for Watkins
Arsenal’s pursuit of Watkins has hit a stumbling block, with Aston Villa reportedly demanding at least £100 million for their star striker, the Mirror reports
Despite the hefty price tag, the North London club remains keen on securing the England international.
With only a few days left in the January transfer window, Arsenal are expected to make another bid, but Petit believes their money would be better spent elsewhere.
Victor Osimhen sets unwanted record
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Osimhen gets strong backlash after setting unwanted Europa League record
Earlier, Henzodaily.ng reported that Osimhen found the net for Galatasaray, but it was not enough as the Turkish giants suffered a 2-1 defeat to Ajax in the UEFA Europa League.
Despite his efforts, Osimhen set an unwanted record for most missed chances in this season’s Europa League, highlighting a frustrating night for the Nigerian forward.
The Galatasaray forward has missed a staggering 16 big chances in the competition this season, eight more than Cyriel Dessers, Alexandre Lacazette, and Brian Bobbey.
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Source: Henzodaily.ng