Arsenal and Chelsea battle for 'the next Victor Osimhen'

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 16 Apr 2025 13:25 BST
• 3 min read

News

Arsenal and Chelsea were reportedly among the clubs scouting Burkina Faso youngster Asharaf Loukman Tapsoba at the U17 Africa Cup of Nations.

The 15-year-old is the tournament’s top goalscorer, with seven strikes in four matches, and he helped fire his nation into the semi-finals before being knocked out by Mali after an unfortunate 2-0 defeat

READ MORE: Osimhen makes official transfer announcement

Tapsoba has been widely compared to Nigeria superstar Victor Osimhen following his breakthrough at the tournament, and he is reportedly being monitored by a host of top clubs ahead of the 2025 summer transfer window.

In fact, TBR Football claim that Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Crystal Palace, Real Sociedad, Bayer Leverkusen, RB Leipzig, RB Salzburg, Paris Saint-Germain, Marseille, AS Monaco, Lille and Al-Ahli are all in attendance in Morocco, with Tapsoba catching the eye so far.

TBR Football have also confirmed that Tapsoba’s Burkina Faso team-mate Mohamed Sako is attracting interest from a number of European clubs due to his performances at the tournament.

READ MORE: Osimhen dream becomes reality as SHOCK transfer 'certain'

Victor Osimhen to move to the Premier League?

Although Arsenal and Chelsea are both watching ‘the next Osimhen’ ahead of the summer window, they are also monitoring Victor himself amid his imminent Napoli exit.

Osimhen is currently on loan at Galatasaray and he has seemingly hinted that a permanent move to the Turkish giants is unlikely to happen.

“Galatasaray will always be in my heart,” he told NTV.

“There are always rumours about me, I think about the present. I am enjoying this moment; the fans always support me. At the right time, the best decision for everyone will be made.”

Arsenal and Chelsea are both known admirers of Osimhen, while Juventus, Man Utd and clubs in Saudi Arabia have also been tipped to compete for his signature this summer.

Osimhen has scored 29 goals in 33 appearances for Galatasaray and his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) currently stands at €68.9 million.