Victor Osimhen shocked the football world after joining Galatasaray on a season-long loan. The 25-year-old was linked with Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Al-Ahli this summer, but no deal materialised.
Chelsea looked destined to sign Osimhen, selling Romelu Lukaku to Napoli as his replacement, but they couldn’t agree personal terms. Matt Law told Football 365 that Chelsea felt Osimhen was too big a risk and came with a cost.
Agent of Osimhen allegedly lied to Chelsea
Chelsea were running out of time to sign Osimhen and opted for a loan move with an obligation to buy. Law claims Napoli told Chelsea that a loan wouldn’t be accepted, so they ignored their offers. Osimhen would go on to join Galatasaray on loan, but Law says Chelsea’s offer was an improvement.
He said: “I’m told Chelsea’s loan offer for Osimhen was better for him and for Napoli than whatever he signed with Galatasaray. Chelsea were told under no circumstances was he going to move on loan by the agent. Therefore, their loan offers were completely ignored.”
Osimhen joined Napoli from LOSC Lille in 2020 and has made 133 appearances, scoring 76 goals with 18 assists. He made a name for himself with 26 goals in 32 Serie A games as Napoli won the title in 2022/23.
The 25-year-old had a falling out with Napoli, however, and has been tipped to leave all season. Chelsea have wanted Osimhen for the longest time but left it too late to procure his signature. The Blues weren’t happy spending so much money too.
Chelsea uncomfortable bloating the wage structure
Law says Osimhen’s lofty wage demands would have caused a problem in the squad. The Nigerian international requested £500k-per-week to leave Napoli, setting suitors back £26m-a-year. Osimhen would be the highest earner at Chelsea, but hell would break loose in the dressing room.
Law added: “They saw Osimhen as a potential risk and reward deal, which is why they pitched for him in terms of loans and incentive-based wages.
“For me, they can’t go out and pay him £300,000-a-week because that’s going to cause massive issues when they’ve just given Cole Palmer an uplift that’s nowhere near that really. It would have been risky. You could easily have had another Lukaku situation.”
Napoli weren’t budging on their £111m release clause in the past but have softened their stance since. They will let Osimhen leave for around £60m, but they have a fear that he won’t be a good fit.
The 25-year-old’s loan at Galatasaray comes with a break clause, so he can join a new club in January. Chelsea missed out on Osimhen this summer but may have a second opportunity in the coming months.
In other news, Cole Palmer has withdrawn from the England squad due to a minor injury
