•Osimhen and Lookman
Former Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro believes Atlanta forward Ademola Lookman is more technical than his Super Eagles teammate and Napoli striker, Victor Osimhen.
Peseiro, who led Nigeria to a second-place finish at the 2023 AFCON in Ivory Coast earlier this year, worked with both players in the national team and weighed in on the latest transfer speculations involving both players.
Lookman and Osimhen have emerged over the past week as potential signings for Arsenal, with Peseiro reflecting why the club should sign either player.
“Ademola is more technical than Osimhen, more inclined to create the game, and who is now also scoring. He is performing very well this year,” Peseiro told SportItalia via Football London.
“He grew up with (Atalanta manager) Gian Piero Gasperini; now he is always playing, and we are happy with him. High level, he too can aspire to do great things.
“It’s no coincidence that they’ve both grown this year. This is because they’re both within a good system of play. Atalanta and Napoli want the ball; they want to play and attack. In these conditions, players get excited like this. Italian football has changed a lot in the last few years.”
SportItalia this week claimed that Arsenal are considering a huge £42.5m offer plus defender Jakub Kiwior to tempt Atalanta into parting ways with Lookman. The player-plus-cash deal comes despite him nearing a transfer to PSG, which resulted in him being dropped for the Italian side’s opening two games of the season.
Sky Sports Deutschland now reports that the former Everton, RB Leipzig, and Leicester star have agreed to personal terms with PSG, but the Gunners may still sweep in and bring him back to his city of birth if they come in with a better offer. There is also a suggestion that Lookman could arrive on a loan deal with an option to buy.
For Osimhen, Arsenal were said to be back in the race to sign the Nigerian striker, but it remains to be seen if the Serie A winner will join the Gunners or their London rivals Chelsea, who are said to be in talks with Napoli to finalise the deal.
