Victor Osimhen to Chelsea move could fall asunder following recent developments on the side of the player with the transfer window winding down fast
Chelsea have shown a long-standing interest in the reigning CAF Footballer of the Year as the search for a striker continues. However, it appears there may not be any light at the end of the tunnel.
Why Victor Osimhen to Chelsea move may not go through
One of the stumbling blocks to Osimhen joining Chelsea this summer is his wage demand from the London outfit. Osimhen and his camp have been clear on the players’ position on Chelsea’s interest. One of the conditions outlined by the Serie A winner is that he doesn’t want a loan move without obligation to buy.
This means he is open to joining Chelsea even on a loan deal but with a compulsory buy-out clause to be activated at the end of the season.
Another existential hurdle, and perhaps the most insurmountable, is his wage demand from Chelsea. According to The Sun, Osimhen is canvassing for a deal that will be worth £500,000 every week.
This represents exactly a 100% increase in his current wage at Napoli. Recall Napoli doubled his earnings to £253,000 weekly after he signed a new contract with the club in December 2023. If Chelsea agree to the wage demand, Osimhen will become the highest-paid Chelsea and Premier League footballer, overtaking the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Erling Haaland, and Marcus Rashford with wages in excess of £300,000 weekly.
Chelsea consider alternative strikers after Victor Osimhen’s demand
Chelsea are scouring the transfer market for alternatives for Osimhen. We reported earlier that Everton and English forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been identified as an alternative.
However, the Blues are not entirely out of the race for the player but are hoping to have his camp peck down their demands. Meanwhile, the wage debacle is not the only hurdle Chelsea will have to cross to sign Osimhen. The club is also contending with Napoli’s sky-high €130m valuation of the player.
Crucial days in the Osimhen to Chelsea transfer saga
The 2024-25 summer transfer window will be slammed shut in a matter of days from now. There is no breakthrough yet between Napoli and Osimhen. To cap the deadlock, the two clubs have agreed to treat Romelu Lukaku’s transfer as a separate deal from Osimhen’s.
As things stand, the future of the Nigerian footballer has been thrown into uncertainty. Napoli have not minced words on their clear intentions to sell Osimhen to protect the integrity of the new squad under the watch of new manager Antonio Conte. This means the Chelsea target could end up struggling for game time with the Neapolitans this season if he doesn’t leave this summer.
What is next for Victor Osimhen?
Osimhen’s £500,000 weekly wage demand has added another layer of hurdle to the transfer saga. There are two ways out of the saga, as things stand. Napoli will have to peck down their asking price while the player could also tone down on his wage demands to secure a transfer. Nothing can be predicted at the moment. The few remaining days in the transfer window will likely do Justice to this saga.
