Arsenal are riding the crest of a wave under Mikel Arteta‘s management, and there’s a real sense down the Emirates corridors that the Gunners are only at the start of an illustrious journey.
Having ended two decades of drought in pursuit of the Premier League title last summer, the Gunners were left with bitter tang in their mouth after losing to Paris Saint-Germain in a Champions League final penalty shootout.
For all the London club’s industrious and tactically intelligent football, storming their way through the season and outplaying the lion’s share of their opponents, there’s a sense that they lack a bit of X-factor in attack.
Arteta is hoping to change that this summer, but sadly, his dream of brining Vinicus Junior over to the Emirates won’t be realised.
Why Arsenal wanted to sign Vini Jr
In Vinicius Junior, Arsenal would have landed one of the best wingers in the world, a true superstar of a player who would become a figurehead for the next chapter at the Emirates.
Alas, it wasn’t to be, but the fact that Vini Jr. came close to moving to Arsenal, that he placed the Gunners at the top of his list, were his hopes of renewing at the Santiago Bernabeu to have fallen flat, speaks volumes toward the organic growth of the Arteta project, now christened in Premier League silverware.
The Brazil international, who starred for his underwhelming nation at the World Cup, bagging four goals and an assist across five appearances, would have been a game-changing signing for the Londoners, dovetailing into an outfit in need of one of his particular skillset.
After all, Leandro Trossard has been sold to Besiktas, and Gabriel Martinelli, underwhelming in the Premier League last season, is being linked with an exit too.
This is a player who has struck home at least 20 goals in all competitions across the past five seasons for Real Madrid, and Arsenal now need to be reactive, bringing over an alternative in attack who could help Arteta build on last year’s title-winning success.
Arsenal in talks to complete a Vini-esque signing
Vinicius Junior might be off the cards, but the need for a new elite forward to spearhead the next phase of Arteta’s project has only been heightened.
And with that in mind, perhaps there might be something in the Gunners’ emerging interest in Victor Osimhen, with reports from France confirming that Arsenal are now charging toward a deal for the Galatasaray striker, who has risen to top-target status and is likely to be valued north of €70m (£60m).
Crucially, Arteta and co are confident and ‘convinced’ that they will get this one over the finish line. It would certainly be a big boost for a side looking to consolidate their position at the top. The Nigeria international has scored 59 goals and supplied 16 assists across two seasons in Turkey, and his overall play is far beyond that of Viktor Gyokeres.
For all his clinical ability in the final third, Gyokeres is not a world-class striker. His technicality and involvement in the build-up leave a lot to be desired.
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Arsenal’s Top Premier League Scorers (2025/26) |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Player |
Apps |
Goals |
|
Viktor Gyokeres |
36 |
14 |
|
Bukayo Saka |
31 |
7 |
|
Eberechi Eze |
32 |
7 |
|
Leandro Trossard |
31 |
6 |
|
Martin Zubimendi |
38 |
5 |
Osimhen is not a winger like Vinicius Jr., but he does boast an elite skillset, an ability to take top-level opponents by the scruff of the neck. His record at Napoli showed that. There the 27-year-old won the Scudetto in emphatic style.
Moreover, there is certainly a volatile edge to him. In that, he also bears something of a likeness to Real Madrid’s mercurial Brazilian forward.
Described as “one of the best strikers in the world” by former international teammate Peter Etebo, Osimhen has yet to try his hand in the Premier League, but his first-class record against English opposition such as Liverpool is something that Vini Jr has also showcased over the past several years, and it’s a tool that Arsenal could benefit from.
With 16 goals across only 27 Champions League appearances, Osimhen is the real deal, someone who could prove a difference-maker for a team in search of greatness.
Arsenal might have to be reactive in their pursuit of a marquee forward, but if they end with Osimhen to front their title-winning team, things will be okay.
