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Chelsea Victor Osimhen saga took big twist on transfer deadline day as January prediction made

Victor Osimhen
-Credit: (Image: Islam Yakut/Anadolu)


John Obi Mikel has explained how Chelsea ran out of time in their transfer deadline day pursuit of Victor Osimhen from Napoli.

The Blues were all in for the Nigeria international on the final day of the window but were unable to strike a deal with the Napoli striker. football.london was told on deadline day that Osimhen's financial demands were too high for Chelsea's strict wage structure and a deal was not feasible.

However, Mikel, his Nigerian compatriot, has been explaining how that is "definitely not true" and instead, it was more of a battle against the clock - a fight Chelsea eventually lost. Speaking on the Obi One Podcast, the former Chelsea midfielder said: "That is definitely not true.

"I know what Victor wanted. I know what the club offered him. We finally got to a compromise; both sides had to compromise.

"Paperwork, medical and a few issues that we just couldn't get over the line and then we didn't have much time. The one time you want the seconds, the minutes and the hours to slow down a bit, it just didn't work.

"And I think both parts really played their part in terms of getting the deal done and I commend Chelsea for that because I could see the ambition of where they want to take this club now. Also, on Victor's side, if we have to pick this back up again, like I said, whatever it is, January or next summer, we know where we are. We know where we've stopped.

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"And it's just little details that need to be finalised and a deal will be done. The club is in a very happy place with Victor and Victor is in a very happy place with the club."

Osimhen eventually signed for Galatasaray on a season-long loan deal. Many see the move from the Nigerian as a big step down but his relationship with Napoli became untenable in the summer so a switch was always the preferred option for Osimhen.

Also, it is understood there is a break clause in his loan contract that could enable him to leave during the January transfer window if another club was to meet it. That could well give Chelsea an incentive come the start of 2025, should the club still believe they need another centre-forward option.

At the moment, Chelsea have Nicolas Jackson as their go-to No.9 option, with Marc Guiu seen as the back-up to the Senegal international. The likes of Joao Felix, Cole Palmer and Christopher Nkunku have all occupied the centre-forward role in the past as well.