Former Super Eagles midfielder John Obi Mikel has revealed why Nigerian striker, Victor Osimhen’s proposed switch from Napoli to Chelsea collapsed on deadline day.
The 25-year-old who was heavily linked to The Blues and other suitors in France, and Saudi Arabia, had a broken relationship with his Italian employers and tendered a transfer request to leave the club a year after helping Napoli end their 33-year wait for a league title 2022-23 season when he was crowned Serie A’s top scorer with 26 goals furious with the Italian side.
Speaking on his Obi One Podcast, Obi admitted that the reigning African Footballer of the Year was ‘very, very close’ to joining Chelsea this summer and revealed why the deal fell through.
The Chelsea icon who had said Osimhen was the final piece of the puzzle at Stamford Bridge denied allegations suggesting that the deal failed to materialise because of his fellow countryman’s greed.
Mikel said: “I hear a lot of people saying this and saying that about Victor and how greedy he is, blah, blah, blah. ‘Take a pay cut and come to Chelsea’ blah, blah, blah, stuff like that.
“I know the kid. I know the boy. I just want to say that that is absolutely not true. Victor is not a greedy boy. He’s not a greedy guy; he only wants to get what he deserves and that’s not a problem.”
During the transfer window, it was reported that Osimhen sought a weekly salary of around £500,000, an extraordinary amount. Although Chelsea was interested in acquiring a striker, they could not meet these demands. Mikel strongly refuted these claims.
“No, he wasn’t asking for all this b******t,” Mikel asserted. “I know what happened; I was in the midst of everything. So I can tell everybody that is definitely not true.
“He just wants to play football and get what he deserves and that’s not a problem. A player knowing what he’s worth and demanding to be paid what he’s worth, that’s not a problem.
“Our negotiations were very, very close, but there were just some minor issues and small problems we couldn’t overcome. I know what the club offered him, and we had to reach a compromise. There were some small issues with paperwork, medicals, and other details that prevented us from finalizing the deal.”
Meanwhile, Osimhen has since left Napoli for Turkish Super Lig side Galatasaray, on a season-long loan, after agreeing to a new release clause of £75m with Napoli and a January break-out from Galatasaray should a big club show interest in signing him.
The Nigerian marked his return to competitive football on Saturday with a goal that helped the Super Eagles kickstart their Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers with a 3-0 win over Benin Republic.
“I’m really super excited to be part of the Galatasaray family. I can’t wait to give my all for this club and make the most of this new journey with such an amazing group and the fans. I’m ready to create unforgettable memories together,” Osimhen said ahead of his first game for Galatasaray.
