FORMER Nigeria and Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi has absolved Victor Osimhen of any blame in the botched transfer move to the English club from Napoli, explaining how the deal collapsed.
The Nigeria striker ended up joining Galatasaray on loan from Napoli after proposed moves to Chelsea and Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli broke down on European transfer window deadline day August 30.
Osimhen would have spent at least four months on the sidelines until the January window as Napoli excluded him from their Serie A squad, but Galatasaray took advantage of the extended Turkish window to seal a loan deal.
While many, depending on the reports they believed, have blamed greed for Osimhen’s refusal to join Chelsea, Mikel has insisted that his compatriot did nothing wrong.
“I hear a lot of people saying this and saying that about Victor and how greedy he is, blah, blah, blah. ‘Take a pay cut and come to Chelsea’ blah, blah, blah, stuff like that,” Mikel said on his ‘Obi One’ podcast released on Monday.
“I know the kid. I know the boy. I just want to say that that is absolutely not true. Victor is not a greedy boy. He’s not a greedy guy; he only wants to get what he deserves and that’s not a problem.”
Some unsubstantiated reports had claimed that Osimhen demanded £500,000 per week from Chelsea, while the credible ones insisted that the English club offered a significant reduction in the 25-year-old striker’s £10m per year Napoli wages.
Mikel dismissed the former as a ridiculous claim.
“No, he wasn’t asking for all this b******t,” Mikel blasted. “I know what happened; I was in the midst of everything. So I can tell everybody that is definitely not true.
“He just wants to play football and get what he deserves and that’s not a problem. A player knowing what he’s worth and demanding to be paid what he’s worth, that’s not a problem.
“Our negotiations were very, very close, but there were just some minor issues and small problems we couldn’t overcome. I know what the club offered him, and we had to reach a compromise.
“There were some small issues with paperwork, medicals, and other details that prevented us from finalising the deal.”
Osimhen, who inspired Napoli with a league-leading 25 goals as they won their first Serie A title in 33 years in 2023, is on a season-long loan at Galatasaray with a break clause in January if an acceptable offer comes from the top European leagues.
