Chelsea’s hot pursuit of Victor Osimhen got to nowhere in the summer as the forward eventually signed for Galatasaray on loan. The Blues were willing to offer the player a significantly higher wage than the £160,000 he is earning at Napoli (and now Galatasaray) per week, as per reports.
However, their desire to sign the player initially on loan was not a promising prospect for Napoli or Osimhen until the matter stretched beyond Deadline Day and joining Galatasaray was his only option.
Football Insider has claimed that Chelsea are planning to return for Osimhen in January are are plotting a ‘move’ to sign the Nigerian international. They hope to take advantage of a break clause in Napoli’s loan agreement with Galatasaray, which would allow the Italians to prematurely terminate Osimhen’s loan to recall him back to Naples before selling him elsewhere.
Osimhen’s asking price could drop significantly in January as the player will enter the last year and a half of his deal and Chelsea are ready to launch a financially viable move in the winter. Exactly how much Napoli will ask to part company with the 25-year-old is yet to be determined.
Chelsea’s bargain swoop for Osimhen
Napoli had notably lowered their asking price for Osimhen in the summer before he left on loan and could seek an even lesser amount if indeed Chelsea knock on their door in January. A swoop for the striker around the £50 million mark should certainly not be ruled out.
Osimhen’s wage will not be a massive deterrent for the Blues as they were planning to offer him over double of his package at Napoli, and the player was reportedly keen on moving to Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea also now have greater bargaining power over this transfer having already invested in a number of other attacking options who have started the campaign well. Nicolas Jackson is leading the line effectively while Jadon Sancho has also settled well following his move from Man Utd.
There are certainly going to be more developments on Osimhen’s future over the coming weeks and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the striker cut short his stay in Istanbul to join Chelsea this winter.
