Chelsea's pursuit of Napoli striker Victor Osimhen collapsed after the Blues offered a base salary which was less than half of his current wage, a report has revealed.
Chelsea’s pursuit of Napoli striker Victor Osimhen collapsed after the Blues offered a base salary which was less than half of his current wage, a report has revealed.
Victor Osimhen was a top target for the entire summer window and talks accelerated in the final few days when it became clear Napoli were prepared to lower their asking price and no longer demand his release clause of over £100m.
Deadline day was dominated by reports of tense meetings between Chelsea and Osimhen’s representatives. The Blues are believed to have struck a deal over a transfer fee with Napoli but could not agree terms with Osimhen.
According to Gianluca Di Marzio, Chelsea’s offer to Osimhen included a base salary of £3.4m, rising to £6.8m with Champions League qualification and a series of other bonuses.
Osimhen, who currently earns £9.3m annually at Napoli, did not accept the offer, and Chelsea declined to improve on their proposal.
Deadline day was a chaotic one for Osimhen, who had agreed personal terms with Saudi Arabian side Al Ahli. There were reports of an agreement over a transfer fee with Napoli, but the Serie A side are believed to have raised their demands by an extra £4.2m up to £71.6m, frustrating Al Ahli and ultimately seeing them turn to Ivan Toney instead for around half the price.
To make matters worse for Osimhen, he has since been left out of Napoli’s squad for the Serie A season, with manager Antonio Conte adamant that he will not use the Nigeria international.
There are still a handful of days before the Saudi transfer window closes, so Osimhen’s immediate future may not be sealed just yet, but he is now facing the prospect of spending the next four months on the sidelines until the January window opens.
