Thierry Henry has challenged Arsenal and Chelsea-linked Napoli striker Victor Osimhen to move to the Premier League.
Osimhen recently penned a new contract in Naples but he is expected to leave this summer.
The Nigerian international had a new deal on the table for months but did not put pen to paper until Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis agreed to include a release clause worth around £112million.
Osimhen is attracting interest from a host of top clubs after an incredible 2022/23 campaign, with Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United among those in the Premier League monitoring his situation.
A move to Paris Saint-Germain is one to watch, with Luis Enrique on the search for a replacement for Kylian Mbappe, who has told the French club he intends to leave on a free transfer at the end of the season.
Arsenal and Chelsea are both looking to sign a No. 9 and Osimhen is one of the best in the business.
There was talk of the Gunners signing a new striker in the January transfer window but the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules stopped that from happening.
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And Arsenal legend Henry understands why Mikel Arteta did not pursue a player like Osimhen in the winter window, but expects the Spanish manager to bring in a striker at the end of the season.
“In the summer, yes I can understand a bit better when people were screaming about a striker,” Henry told CBS Sports.
“In January, who are you bringing in that is already better than the player that you have? They just need to put the ball into the back of the net.
“I think that’s something Mikel Arteta is going to look upon at the end of the season and see who he can bring into his team.”
Henry’s colleague Micah Richards then threw Osimhen’s name forward.
“Sorry?” Henry responded. “You need to call Mikel for that.”
Henry then went on to say Arsenal and Chelsea target Osimhen should challenge himself in England.
“I think he needed that today because at the AFCON he can lead the line, he runs into the channel, he holds the ball, he is clever to understand I have him here and let him roll. I do think he needed that goal,” he added.
“How can he be? He showed last year what he could do.
“He won African player of the year along the way. I would like to see him now, what can you do in the Premier League?
“Wherever you are going to go. PSG or the Prem. I want to see him doing it year in, year out.”
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher added: “Napoli is a club that he is not going to stay at for the rest of his career and he feels like he can go on to bigger and better things.
“But he signs a contract and straight away he’s talking about where he’s going to go in the summer. I think there’s a buy-out clause there for one hundred million and it feels like some sort of deal has been done between all parties.
“‘I’ll sign a new contract, my wages will go through the roof’. Rightly so for what he did last season, but there’s a deal there if someone wants to do one in the summer.”
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