Napoli striker Victor Osimhen has revealed he turned down a move to Arsenal early on in his career.
Osimhen, 24, has become one of the most in-demand players in European football after impressing for Serie A leaders Napoli this season.
The Nigeria international has scored 25 goals in 29 games in all competitions, setting Napoli on course for their first Serie A title since 1990 – with Luciano Spalletti’s side currently 19 points clear at the top of the table.
Napoli are also through to the last eight of the Champions League, where they will face fellow Italian side AC Milan.
Osimhen’s form has attracted the interest of several Premier League clubs, with both Chelsea and Manchester United keen to sign the striker this summer.
He said: “I think playing in one of the top five leagues in the world (Serie A) is an amazing feeling for me.
“A lot of people worldwide consider the Premier League as the best and the strongest league but now I’m in one of the best leagues in the world which is the Italian Serie A.
“I’m working so hard to make sure that I achieve my dream of playing in the Premier League some day but like I said, it’s a process and I just want to keep on this momentum and continue to do well.”
Osimhen reveals Wenger talks
Osimhen has now revealed that he already had the chance to join a Premier League side when he was just 18 – but turned down the opportunity.
“I spoke with Arsene Wenger, and he wanted me to come to Arsenal, but it was not the best option at the time,” Osimhen told CentreGoals, as reported by Football Italia.
At the time, Osimhen was playing at the Ultimate Strikers Academy in Lagos, Nigeria and would instead move to German club Wolfsburg in 2017.
At the time of his move, he was estimated to have a transfer value of less than €1m, according to Transfermarkt.
Osimhen was later sent on loan to Belgian side Charleroi in the 2018-19 season and joined them on a permanent deal at the end of the campaign, before being swiftly sold to Lille.
He would go on to score 18 goals in 38 appearances in his only season with the French club before joining Napoli in 2020, where he has managed an impressive return of 53 goals in 91 games.
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