Arsenal news: Victor Osimhen swap talks held as Liverpool clear path for £43m transfer

Arsenal news: Victor Osimhen swap talks held as Liverpool clear path for £43m transfer

Arsenal are ramping up their summer transfer activity by pursuing several high-profile players

Just over two weeks remain in the summer transfer window and Arsenal are still being linked with players across different positions. The Premier League champions have, until now, acted shrewdly in the transfer market, refusing to overpay for several of their primary targets.

As such, progress has at times seemed slow, as was the case with Bruno Guimaraes’ deal, which was finally confirmed last week after two months of speculation. However, their patient approach also saw other pursuits fizzle out due to other clubs hijacking moves for Morgan Rogers and Jeremy Monga.

Sporting director Andrea Berta has nonetheless bolstered Mikel Arteta’s squad by adding impressive depth heading into the 2026/27 campaign. New arrivals Guimaraes, Christos Tzolis and Illan Meslier improve the squad from top to bottom and make Arsenal better equipped to deal with injuries to key players.

Yet, a defensive signing and a marquee forward addition appear to still be on the agenda, with Arteta well aware that further upgrades are required to give his side the best chance of securing more silverware this term. Now, Mirror Football takes a look at two of the latest transfer stories involving the Gunners ahead of their season opener - a Community Shield clash with Manchester City this Sunday.

FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE!Latest Gunners news and more on our dedicated Facebook page

Victor Osimhen talks held

Having fallen short of signing Rogers, Vinicius Junior and seemingly Julian Alvarez, Victor Osimhen is reportedly the next big name forward Arsenal are pursuing. Arteta has held a long-standing interest in the Nigerian striker, who has also been linked with rivals Spurs.

The Telegraph reports that Berta, representing Arsenal, recently met with Galatasaray to discuss the Turkish giants’ interest in Gabriel Martinelli and Ethan Nwaneri. Galatasaray have already seen a £38.4m offer for Martinelli rejected.

But during those discussions, the possibility of Osimhen potentially moving the other way to Arsenal was also discussed. It is unclear if the subject was raised by Berta or whether the striker was essentially offered to the Premier League champions.

Osimhen is widely seen as one of the most lethal finishers in European football. A potential deal for the 27-year-old would likely see Martinelli or Viktor Gyokeres sold this summer in order to balance the books and free up squad space.

Sky's Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle includes at least 215 live Premier League clashes across the 2026/27 season, with more than 1,500 games from the EFL and beyond, plus F1, golf and darts.

This introductory offer saves £384 compared to the standard price, with every package also providing 100 regular channels alongside free Netflix and discovery+ subscriptions.

Jarell Quansah clause

Arsenal have expressed an interest in signing Jarell Quansah from Bayer Leverkusen. Several reports claim talks are still in an exploratory stage for the 23-year-old England defender.

Quansah fits the profile of player that the Gunners are looking for as he can play at both centre-back and right-back. Arsenal will be without William Saliba for the first few months of the season, while right-back Jurrien Timber is also recovering from injury, leaving Arteta short at the back and looking at options who can play both positions to a high level.

BBC Sport reports Liverpool have the option to match any offer for Quansah as part of the deal that led him to leave Anfield for the Bundesliga side last summer for an initial £30m. However, the report claims Liverpool have no intention of actioning their clause. The Guardian, meanwhile, states that Leverkusen will demand at least £43m.

It comes amid Arsenal’s interest in Quansah’s England team-mate Ezri Konsa. Aston Villa’s £60m valuation of Konsa is considerably higher than what Arsenal are willing to pay, which has potentially led them to seek out Quansah as an alternative.