Arsenal Targets Osimhen and Quansah as Transfer Window Closes

The clock is ticking again at Arsenal.

With the summer window closing on September 1, the club have moved out of their early-summer slow lane and into something far more urgent, targeting reinforcements at both ends of the pitch as Mikel Arteta tries to arm himself for a title charge.

Arsenal’s strategy has been clear: stay disciplined, avoid the bidding wars, and refuse to panic. It has come at a cost. The long pursuit of Bruno Guimaraes dragged on for months before finally getting over the line last week. Morgan Rogers and Jeremy Monga slipped away as other clubs moved faster and paid quicker.

Even so, the squad is stronger than it was in May. Guimaraes adds control and bite in midfield, Christos Tzolis brings another attacking option, and Illan Meslier gives depth and competition in goal. Three smart additions, spread across the pitch, built for a long, bruising season.

But Arsenal are not done.

Arteta still wants at least two more signings – a defender and a forward – and the final weeks of the window are beginning to revolve around two names: Victor Osimhen and Jarell Quansah.

Osimhen angle takes a twist

Having been knocked back in moves for Rogers, Vinicius Junior and, it seems, Julian Alvarez, Arsenal have turned their attention to Victor Osimhen, the Nigerian striker long admired by Arteta and already familiar with transfer gossip columns across Europe.

According to The Telegraph, sporting director Andrea Berta recently sat down with Galatasaray to discuss the Turkish club’s interest in Gabriel Martinelli and Ethan Nwaneri. Galatasaray tested Arsenal’s resolve with a £38.4 million bid for Martinelli. It was rejected, but the door was not slammed shut. Arsenal are open to letting the Brazilian go if the right deal lands on the table, including the possibility of a swap.

That is where Osimhen’s name entered the room.

During those talks, the idea of Osimhen heading to Arsenal in the opposite direction was raised. What remains unclear is who pushed it: whether Berta floated the possibility or whether Galatasaray signalled that the striker could be prised away and offered towards the Premier League champions.

Any such move has hit an immediate snag. As reported by The Athletic, Martinelli’s camp have informed Arsenal he has no interest in joining Galatasaray. That stance effectively kills off the prospect of a player-plus-cash deal built around him and removes the most straightforward path to structuring a complex move for Osimhen.

The chase is not dead, but the simplest version of it is.

Quansah emerges as defensive solution

At the other end of the pitch, Arsenal’s defensive plans have taken a more pragmatic turn.

The club have registered an interest in Jarell Quansah, currently at Bayer Leverkusen, with multiple reports describing negotiations as being at an exploratory stage for the 23-year-old England international.

Quansah fits exactly what Arteta needs. He can play at centre-back and at right-back, a dual role that suddenly looks vital. William Saliba will miss the opening months of the campaign, Jurrien Timber is also out injured, and the depth chart at the back has started to look worryingly thin. Arsenal want someone who can slot in across the line without a drop in quality. Quansah ticks that box.

There is a complication. BBC Sport report that Liverpool, who sold Quansah to Leverkusen last summer for an initial £30 million, inserted a clause allowing them to match any future bid. At this stage, though, Liverpool are said to have no intention of triggering that option.

Leverkusen, for their part, are in no mood to sell cheaply. The Guardian report that the Bundesliga club will demand at least £43 million before they even think about agreeing to a deal.

Arsenal’s interest in Quansah runs alongside their pursuit of his England teammate Ezri Konsa. Aston Villa’s valuation of around £60 million has been deemed too steep at the Emirates, and that price point has nudged Arsenal towards alternative targets. Quansah, younger and cheaper, has moved sharply up the list.

Arsenal open their season against Manchester City in the Community Shield on Sunday, still hunting for a defender and a forward who can turn a strong squad into a relentless one. With the window closing fast and key targets proving costly, how bold will they be when the final offers go in?