Arsenal change transfer strategy, prioritizing a new target after the latest £55.6m setback, and decide on pursuing Victor Osimhen.
Arsenal will approach the transfer market carefully following Benjamin Sesko’s contract renewal, football.london reports. After one of their potential striker targets signed a new deal last week, the Gunners are reassessing their next moves.
Nearly two weeks ago, football.london indicated that despite interest in the Slovenian forward, a central midfielder was Arsenal’s top priority for this summer. At that time, any move for Sesko was considered distant. Shortly after, RB Leipzig secured Sesko with a new contract, removing his £55.6 million release clause, as he chose to stay in Germany for another season.
Since Sesko’s renewal, Arsenal have been linked to several centre-forwards, including Napoli’s Victor Osimhen. However, football.london believes a move for Osimhen is unlikely at this stage, with no evidence of an imminent offer.
Although reinforcing the forward line remains necessary, especially if Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson depart, the immediate focus is on midfield. The striker market lacks standout options, and Arsenal might instead opt for a wide player to provide rest and rotation for Bukayo Saka.
It’s unclear who Arsenal’s top target in these areas is, as the primary focus is on midfield. Last summer, Declan Rice was their main target, and they committed over £100 million for him. Such a significant move is unlikely this summer unless substantial sales occur later in the window. Edu has several surplus players, including Nketiah and Nelson, who could be sold to generate substantial funds, similar to the summer of 2017.
The club is optimistic that the squad will be significantly improved by the end of the window, football.london understands. The goal is to equip Mikel Arteta with the quality needed to challenge Manchester City for the title.
Securing early transfers has become crucial, especially since Arsenal will face Manchester City just five games into the new season. With a challenging start to the season, having players settled and integrated early is key to building momentum ahead of an early title-impacting match.