Arsenal have maintained their spot at the forefront of the Premier League after falling short in the title race last season against Manchester City, who leapfrogged Mikel Arteta's men at the business end to secure their third successive title en route to a seasonal European treble.
It was a gallant, inspiring, effort from a team that had failed to qualify for Champions League football for six successive seasons, but the sense of poignancy at failing to secure the trophy stung.
Arteta has ensured that the previous woes have been used to continue the increments made since his appointment in December 2019, and after nine league matches this season, the bid for a first league triumph in over two decades is very much on.
That being said, the club are prowling the market for a new, free-scoring centre-forward, and if rumours are to be believed, Napoli revelation Victor Osimhen is among the chief candidates.
What's the latest on Victor Osimhen to Arsenal?
Before the summer transfer window closed, Football Transfers reported that Arsenal had registered a concrete interest in Osimhen, having held preliminary talks after the Nigerian ace rejected a contract extension with the Serie A champions.
While he has been valued at a staggering £150m by the Italian outfit, the 24-year-old star's contract with Napoli expires in 2025, meaning 2024 is the crucial window of opportunity; Arsenal could seek to exploit a growing acceptance that his sale must be granted.
The Serie A champions could risk him running down his contract throughout the 2024/25 campaign before leaving for nothing in 2025 if they opt against cashing in on him during one of the next two transfer windows.
Speaking to GiveMeSport, transfer insider Dean Jones penned his thoughts on the reported interest, highlighting the fact that while the allure of signing the striker is profound, the technicalities in the way make completing a deal challenging.
Jones said: "They play it down if you try to get any official quote on Arsenal going for Osimhen, but obviously if that time does come, they've got to be smart because Osimhen is valued at a ridiculous price and rightly so by Napoli.
"But also, there's going to be a huge wage and everything that comes in turn with that. So this is really ambitious if they do go for Osimhen, but if you're an Arsenal fan, this is the dream, this is the guy that can lead you properly towards title talk and properly into the Champions League conversation."
Are Arsenal hoping to sign Ivan Toney?
Given the Gunners' £105m acquisition of Declan Rice this summer, there is a discernible willingness from the powers that be to strengthen in accordance with Arteta's vision, stemming from the fantastic strides taken under the Spanish manager's tutelage.
Rice was the tailor-made midfield signing required to upgrade on the team, and now swooping for a new, prolific forward appears to be the primary port of call on the transfer front, and while Osimhen is the coveted name, the difficulties surrounding a deal could prompt the Emirates side to further their interest in Brentford's Ivan Toney.
One of England's most impressive strikers over the past few years, Toney is currently serving a lengthy suspension following a breach of betting regulations. Enforced in May, the 27-year-old will not return to competitive football until January 16, 2024.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal – alongside Chelsea – are informed on Toney's situation as the England international targets a transfer this winter, though Thomas Frank's Bees will demand a ballpark "£60-65m" for his sale.
There would be worse ways for the Gunners to splash their cash, though, with Toney hailed for his "remarkable" qualities by his manager.
Since Brentford achieved promotion from the Championship in 2021 – with Toney leading the line and posting 33 goals and ten assists – he has scored 32 goals and supplied nine assists across 66 Premier League appearances, with his commanding presence in the final third exactly what Arsenal need as a counterweight to Gabriel Jesus' creative role.
The £20k-per-week ace would prosper supplemented by the likes of Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard, and while Osimhen is likely rivalled only by Manchester City's Erling Haaland in terms of cutting edge in front of goal right now, Toney would not be a bad fallback option. Not one bit.
How good is Victor Osimhen?
Described as a "monster" for his exploits by ESPN journalist Colin Udoh, Osimhen was the centrepiece of Napoli's sensational Scudetto triumph last season, winning the Serie A title with 90 points, 16 points ahead of second-placed Lazio.
I Partenopei were positively electric in their forward efforts, with the £91k-per-week sensation plundering a whopping 31 goals and five assists from 39 matches across all competitions.
These statistics show that the talented number nine proved himself to be a reliable goalscoring option for his team as part of a title success, which could make him the dream signing for Arsenal as they eye a title of their own.
This season, while Napoli have not been quite so imperious so far, Osimhen has retained his innate predatory sense and has scored six times from eight Serie A outings.
His rate of scoring is exactly what the Gunners need, with the prodigious Saka in stunning form this season but his tally of five is still bettered by Osimhen's six.
Saka, who has been praised as a "ruthless" presence in front of goal by his England manager, Gareth Southgate, is also one of the Premier League's most creative forces, ranking among the top 12% of positional peers for assists per 90.
As per FBref, the 6 foot Naples sharpshooter ranks among the top 3% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues and European competitions over the past year for non-penalty goals, the top 1% for total shots taken, and the top 1% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90, making him indisputably one of the finest finishers in the business.
Player
Club
Robert Lewandowski
Barcelona
Christopher Nkunku
Chelsea
Andre Silva
Real Sociedad
Antoine Griezmann
Atletico Madrid
Ollie Watkins
Aston Villa
Should Arsenal fail to sign Osimhen at some point over the coming transfer windows remains to be seen, but the fact that the London giants are in such a good position that falling back on players such as Toney is within the realm of possibility illustrates just how emphatic the ascent to prominence once more has been.
That being said, the work is certainly not done and Arteta's renaissance will only be etched into history as an unmitigated success should one of the most coveted prizes be brought back to the Emirates.
With Osimhen serving as the arrowhead, there is every chance that the years still to come will be filled with prosperity and silver-laden success.
Therefore, the Gunners must reignite their interest in the Napoli star and ditch any plans they have to swoop for Toney ahead of the January transfer window.
