Owen Hargreaves baffled Arsenal didn’t bid for Man Utd and Chelsea target | Football

Owen Hargeaves is unsure why Arsenal didn’t try to sign Victor Osimhen in the January transfer window to provide a solution for their lack of a natural goalscorer.

Arsenal’s lack of cutting edge was there for all to see again at Old Trafford on Sunday as Mikel Arteta’s side were held to a 1-1 draw by Manchester United.

While Declan Rice cancelled out Bruno Fernandes’ free-kick, it was the Gunners who were perhaps fortunate to escape with a point when David Raya reacted superbly to deny Fernandes a second in injury time.

But the draw now means Arsenal are winless in their last three Premier League games and trail runaway leaders Liverpool by a whopping 15 points.

Injuries to key attackers have no doubt hampered the Gunners’ title aspirations in the second half of the season, with Mikel Merino forced to deputise as a central striker in recent weeks.

But the club were also slow to seek reinforcements in January, with their only notable bid for a striker – Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins – rebuffed in the final week of the window.

The Gunners are likely to renew their search for a world-class striker this summer, with Alexander Isak and Benjamin Sesko said to be top of their wishlist.

But Hargreaves is unsure why the club didn’t try harder to sign a striker in January to keep their title bid alive and said they should have tested the waters with a bid for Galatasary striker Osimhen.

‘If you look at Arsenal, they have a player like Declan Rice in every position apart from up there [in attack] and it’s the most important position. But there are guys out there,’ Hargreaves told Premier League Productions.

‘Osimhen is on loan in Turkey. Even if it was for six months like that, it gives you a window and an audition to see if it fits.

‘You look at the business Aston Villa did in January – Marcus Rashford, Asensio, Disasi – crazy amount of business.

‘If you don’t ask, you don’t get, and I think Arsenal are this close to anything you want, but you need someone up there to take the load of others. I really think they just need to push the boat out in the summer and get someone.’

The Nigerian international, on loan from Napoli, has scored 17 goals in 21 league appearances to help put his side seven points clear at the top of the Super Lig table.

Speaking last month, the 26-year-old said he was uncertain what the future held for him amid reports that Manchester United and Chelsea are interested in acquiring his services.

‘To be honest I don’t know,’ Osimhen said about his future in Turkey. ‘You know the last few months, nobody ever thought I would come here, I never believed I would come to Galatasaray despite how big they are.

‘I live for the moment. I don’t know what will happen in the summer, but I want everybody to understand that I really love this club.

‘I love the fans, I love the President, I love everyone associated with the club. It’s really a big deal to be here and I’m really enjoying my time here.’

Ian Wright, meanwhile, said a striker in the mould of England captain Harry Kane would have kept Arsenal in the title race by this stage of the season.

‘Declan Rice is someone who plays with Harry Kane (with England),’ Wright said. ‘He sees someone who has one chance and scores.

‘I’m not saying you could put Harry Kane in this team but you put a Harry Kane style of player in this team and Arsenal are going to be closer to Liverpool, no doubt about it.

‘That kind of finishing – something out of nothing, free-kicks, headers? Harry Kane gives you easily 12 points by this point in the season to keep you right alongside Liverpool.’

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