Victor Osimhen says Arsenal were 'a good option but not not the best' as he almost joined the Gunners as a youngster.
The striker's meteoric rise continues this season with Napoli after leaving Lille last summer for £50million.
And it has emerged that Mikel Arteta's men were 'very close' to beating the Italians to his signature, according to Italian journalist Paolo Bargiggia as they attempted to capture him for a second time.
Arsenal have been a long-term admirer of the Nigerian as they pursued him back in 2017 as a teenager before he opted to make the switch to Wolfsburg instead.
Osimhen opened up about the failed move last year and revealed he held talks with Arsenal Wenger about a potential transfer.
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He strongly considered the north London club, but ultimately decided it wasn't the best option for him.
“I spoke with Arsene Wenger after the tournament (Under-17 World Cup) ended and he wanted me to come to Arsenal,” Osimhen told the Independent back in 2020.
“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.
"I wanted to go to a place where I had time to invest in my game and improve physically. Wolfsburg showed me that possibility.”
Bargiggia revealed that it wasn't the only time Arsenal missed out on the 22-year-old, either, as Napoli edged out Arteta's men last summer when he joined the Serie A side from Lille.
Speaking to 1 Station Radio, he said "Osimhen, at a cash level, was paid only 50 million: a figure that, with hindsight, is low.
"Let's forget that the four counterparts given to Lille were convenient for the budget, but Osimhen, in a year, he can reach over 100 million and approach the ratings of Romelu Lukaku. Moreover, he earns only 5 million gross in salary: not much, for a striker of his calibre.
“You must know that Osimhen was followed by Arsenal: he was very close to the Gunners, but Cristiano Giuntoli spoke with Aurelio De Laurentiis and the president broke the delay: so Napoli decided and managed to buy him.”
