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Napoli's Victor Osimhen 'on five-man Arsenal striker shortlist'

Osimhen 'on five-man Arsenal striker shortlist'
© Reuters
Arsenal reportedly draw up a five-man striker shortlist, which includes Napoli forward Victor Osimhen.

Arsenal have reportedly drawn up a five-man striker shortlist, which includes Napoli forward Victor Osimhen.

The Gunners have mainly used Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah as their two central strikers this season, although the former has only recently returned from a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

The pair have played their role in Arsenal's title bid, with the league leaders currently sitting eight points clear of Manchester City, who have a game in hand.

Even if the Gunners go on to win their first title since the 2003-04 season, they could look to strengthen in the final third this summer.

They could potentially bolster their frontline at no extra cost by integrating Folarin Balogun into the first-team squad.

Folarin Balogun warms up for England Under-21s in September 2022© Reuters

Balogun is currently in the midst of an impressive loan spell with Reims, where he has scored 17 goals in Ligue 1 this season - a tally that can only be bettered by Kylian Mbappe and Jonathan David.

However, Arsenal could decide to cash in on their academy graduate and look to sign a more physical striker in the summer transfer window.

According to the Evening Standard, the Gunners have drawn up a five-man striker shortlist that features Osimhen.

Having scored 25 goals in 29 appearances for Napoli this season, Osimhen is currently attracting interest from a number of clubs across Europe, including Chelsea, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain.

Should the Gunners decide to pursue a transfer for the Nigeria international, they may have to pay a fee in excess of £100m.

Dusan Vlahovic in action for Juventus on October 2, 2022© Reuters

The other four players to feature on Arsenal's shortlist are reportedly Dusan Vlahovic, Tammy Abraham, Rasmus Hojlund and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Vlahovic was previously linked with a move to Arsenal before opting to join Juventus, where he has registered 20 goals in 49 appearances.

The Gunners were also believed to be interested in Abraham prior to his move to Roma, and the 25-year-old has since established himself as a key member of Jose Mourinho's side, scoring 34 goals in 91 games.

Hojlund is another forward plying his trade in Serie A, and the Atalanta striker recently scored five goals in two Euro 2024 qualifying games for Denmark.

Calvert-Lewin, meanwhile, has been restricted to just one goal in 11 appearances this season, with injury issues continuing to hamper the Everton forward.

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Written by
Ben Sully

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