Osimhen and Schick statistics prove they will avoid Arsenal’s Pepe mistake

Arsenal are in desperate need of a striker whether that be in the January transfer window or in the summer market ahead of next season.

According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein , Barcelona and Juventus have made official approaches to sign Pierre-Emerick Auameyang on loan until the summer, with Arsenal still pondering on whether to accept the deal.

And if Aubameyang is sold then Arsenal will be without a top-quality striker in their ranks, which is why they were chasing Dusan Vlahovic with so much intent.

However, considering how expensive he would have been to acquire, Edu will be better suited going after Victor Osimhen or Patrick Schick who could prove to be better signings.

Both players are the best in Europe for their non-penalty expected goals per 100 touches, and they also rarely give the ball away.

Vlahovic averages over 18 ball possession losses every 100 touches, which doesn’t suit Arteta’s system who prefers to maintain control of the ball when his side is attacking.

Despite this, Edu was pushing hard to sign Vlahovic, football.london understood, but the club could not persuade the Serbian striker to join the club despite him being the number one target.

And this may have been a blessing in disguise, as Arsenal could have made a repeat of the Nicolas Pepe deal by overspending when there were better and cheaper alternatives.

Osimhen certainly would fit the Arsenal profile, and he has previously been courted by former Gunners manager Arsene Wenger.

Italian journalist Paolo Bargiggia revealed that the Nigeria international was close to joining Arsenal last year before completing a move to the Naples-based club instead and Osimhen himself has previously claimed that the Gunners had enquired for him as a youngster.

Speaking to The Independent back in 2020, Osimhen said ““I spoke with Arsene Wenger after the tournament (Under-17 World Cup) ended and he wanted me to come to Arsenal.” He said.

“I had a lot of options. Barcelona; Inter Milan; Atletico Madrid; Juventus and the rest. Arsenal was a good option but it wasn’t the best at the time. I wanted to start playing as soon as I turned 18.”

Signing a striker in January or the summer transfer window is a necessity for the Gunners who are extremely short in the attacking positions, and need more quality to solidify a place in the UEFA Champions League for the upcoming seasons.

Osimhen or Schick would certainly improve the Arsenal attack as the statistics prove, and they are players that Mikel Arteta should look to target.

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