"Who wouldn’t want Osimhen?" – SPL chief expected Chelsea move

Posted : 17 October 2024

Retired Nigerian international and director of football for the Saudi Pro League, Michael Emenalo, expressed his surprise that Chelsea could not finalize a deal for Napoli striker Victor Osimhen during the summer transfer window. The pursuit of Osimhen became one of the major stories of the transfer season, especially as his potential transfers to both Chelsea and Saudi club Al-Ahli fell apart on deadline day.

Chelsea had intended to use Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku as part of a package to lure Osimhen to Stamford Bridge. However, negotiations failed to yield any agreement. Al-Ahli made a lucrative offer to Osimhen, reportedly amounting to £650,000 per week, which significantly overshadowed Chelsea's final proposal as the transfer window was closing.

Although Osimhen had reached an agreement on personal terms with Al-Ahli, Napoli's unrealistic demands ultimately stalled the transfer to the Saudi Pro League. Other European clubs, including Chelsea, also struggled to reach a consensus with Napoli regarding both Osimhen's wages and the hefty transfer fee, rumored to be around 130 million euros.

Osimhen himself cited financial considerations for rejecting Chelsea's offer, noting that the British tax system would take a significant portion of his earnings. He mentioned that 43% of his salary would go to taxes, 20% to the NHS, and £20,000 would be deducted for image rights, making the move less appealing financially.

In an interview on The Obi One Podcast, Emenalo reflected on how close Chelsea was to acquiring Osimhen, stating that “being close” can mean different things to different people. He emphasized that for a deal to be truly closed, it requires paperwork to pass through his desk for evaluation and signature, which did not occur in this instance.

Emenalo suggested that the missed opportunities for both Chelsea and Al-Ahli resulted from late negotiations. He noted that initial discussions are crucial, particularly when dealing with high-profile players, and the complexity increases with the player's stature and the expectations of both the selling and buying clubs.

After the transfer window closed, Turkish champions Galatasaray successfully persuaded Osimhen to join them on a season-long loan, indicating that the window's tight timeline ultimately impacted Chelsea's and Al-Ahli's attempts to secure the Nigerian forward.

"Who wouldn’t want Osimhen?" – SPL chief expected Chelsea move

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