Former Super Eagles and Chelsea midfielder John Mikel Obi has shed light on why Nigerian striker Victor Osimhens proposed move from Napoli to Chelsea fell through on transfer deadline day.
According to Punch Metro, Osimhen, who was linked with Chelsea as well as clubs in France and Saudi Arabia, had a strained relationship with his Italian club and had requested a transfer after helping Napoli secure their first league title in 33 years during the 2022-23 season, where he was Serie A's top scorer with 26 goals.
On his Obi One Podcast, Mikel confirmed that Osimhen was very, very close to joining Chelsea but addressed why the deal didnt materialise. The Chelsea icon, who previously stated that Osimhen was the final piece of the puzzle for the club, dismissed rumors suggesting the deal fell through due to Osimhens alleged greed.
Mikel stated, I hear a lot of people saying things about Victor being greedy and demanding too much money, but that's simply not true. Victor is not a greedy person; he just wants to be fairly compensated for his worth, which is completely reasonable."
Despite reports that Osimhen sought a weekly salary of around £500,000, Mikel refuted these claims, saying, "He wasn't asking for anything out of the ordinary. I was involved in the negotiations, and I can assure everyone that's not the case. There were minor issues and small problems related to paperwork, medicals, and other details that prevented the deal from going through."
