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Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen was locked in negotiations over a move to Chelsea, but talks broke down at the last minute leaving the Nigerian striker stranded at Napoli
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has opened up about the club's decision to abandon their pursuit of Napoli's star striker, Victor Osimhen, on transfer deadline day.
Maresca reveals transfer policy that excluded Osimhen
The Blues had been searching for a new striker throughout the summer and were expected to make a move for Osimhen earlier in the summer transfer window.
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However, negotiations only gained momentum in the final days of the window, leaving little time to reach an agreement, and despite the late push, a deal could not be finalised on deadline day.
Speaking after Chelsea’s 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace, Maresca explained the club's conditions when acquiring new talent, saying, "We want players, but we want players that we decide, and then the conditions have to be our conditions.”
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When asked if Chelsea might revisit the Osimhen situation in January, Maresca remained non-committal, adding, "We’ll see now, from here to January. I don’t know how many games we have, but I’ve told you many times I like to focus on the next days. So we will see in January."
Reported Chelsea salary offer to Osimhen
One of the reported factors in the breakdown of talks between Chelsea and Osimhen was the salary package offered by the London club.
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According to reports from Sky Sport Italia and Corriere dello Sport, Chelsea's offer was significantly lower than what Osimhen currently earns at Napoli.
While the Nigerian striker takes home over €10 million per season in Italy, Chelsea's proposal included a guaranteed salary of only €4 million, with an additional €2 million in performance-related bonuses and another €2 million if the team qualified for the Champions League.
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This offer, amounting to less than half of Osimhen’s current guaranteed earnings, was deemed unacceptable by the player, who had earlier in the day agreed to a €40 million per season contract with Al-Ahli.
Unfortunately for the Super Eagles star, that deal also fell through when Napoli demanded an extra €5 million in bonuses.
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