£85m striker left out of pre-season squad after reports Arsenal are hoping to sign him

A striker who Arsenal are said to be preparing a bid for this summer has now been excluded from his side’s latest pre-season friendly squad.

Right now it seems as if Arsenal are close to finalising a deal for Riccardo Calafiori – a signing which should be announced in the early part of the week.

Arsenal are expected to make three more signings after concluding a move for the Italian, explaining that there’s still much to do for Edu and his team.

And as well as signing a new number eight to strengthen the depth available to Mikel Arteta in midfield, Arsenal will also look to bring in a new forward.

Nico Williams was Arsenal’s number one target in that regard, however it seems as if the Spaniard will choose either Barcelona or Paris Saint-Germain this summer.

Williams doesn’t seem keen on signing for Arsenal, having recently ordered his agent to stop negotiations with Premier League sides.

But amid that disappointment, Italian sources have shared the belief that Arsenal may make a late bid for Victor Osimhen, who is free to leave Napoli.

Arsenal target Victor Osimhen now left of Napoli’s pre-season match

Since Antonio Conte’s arrival as new Napoli boss, it’s become very clear that Osimhen has no future at the Italian side.

Conte reportedly wants to sign Romelu Lukaku as soon as Osimhen is sold, a situation he wants resolved quickly.

Victor Osimhen of Napoli is participating in day 3 of the preseason training camp of SSC Napoli at Stadio Patini in Castel di Sangro, Italy, on Jul...

And as a result, £85m-rated Osimhen didn’t even make Napoli’s bench for their pre-season friendly against Egnatia on Sunday evening.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano pointed out that fact on X, reiterating the point that Osimhen wants to leave the club.

In his update, Romano mentioned the names of PSG and Chelsea, but it seems as Arsenal are also waiting in the wings, considering an audacious move.

Of course, bringing in a game-changer like Osimhen would be the wish of a lot of Arsenal fans this summer.

Perhaps the brilliant shape Gabriel Jesus has returned in for Arsenal pre-season could make a difference in terms of recruiting a new striker, but many will still want to add goals.

And if the likes of Reiss Nelson leave Arsenal, perhaps Jesus could instead be treated as a winger in the new season, a player who is effective on both wings.