Former Chelsea midfielder, John Obi Mikel, has shed light on why Victor Osimhen’s highly anticipated move to Stamford Bridge failed to materialize, despite being on the verge of completion.
According to Mikel, the Nigerian striker’s transfer to Chelsea was “very, very close” to happening this summer.
However, despite ongoing speculation, he emphasized that the deal did not fall through due to greed on Osimhen’s part but rather because of minor contractual issues that couldn’t be resolved before the transfer deadline.
Osimhen had been linked with a move to Chelsea throughout the summer transfer window, with many reports suggesting the player’s desire to fulfill a lifelong dream of playing in the Premier League.
However, in a dramatic turn of events on deadline day, the transfer collapsed. Following this setback, Osimhen secured a season-long loan move to Turkish Super Lig side Galatasaray, leaving fans and analysts wondering what went wrong.
One of the most persistent rumours circulating was that the negotiations broke down due to Osimhen’s high wage demands. It was reported that the Napoli forward was seeking a weekly salary of around £500,000, a figure Chelsea were unwilling to match.
Mikel, however, has categorically denied these claims. Speaking on his Obi One Podcast, Mikel stated, “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. 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.”
Mikel was quick to defend Osimhen’s character, describing him as someone who simply wants to be fairly compensated for his talent and contributions on the pitch.
While some reports suggested that the striker’s wage demands were a sticking point, Mikel made it clear that this was far from the truth.
“No, he wasn’t asking for all this b****t,” Mikel added emphatically. “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.”
The Chelsea legend, who captained the Nigerian national team during Osimhen’s early international career, revealed that his close relationship with the striker played a crucial role in his involvement in the transfer negotiations.
He had been actively working with both Chelsea and Osimhen’s camp to facilitate the deal, even going as far as to stay up for days without sleep to ensure things went smoothly.
“We were very, very close to getting this deal done,” Mikel shared. “But it was just slight issues, slight little problems that we just couldn’t get over the line. I know what the club offered him. We got to finally go to a compromise. Both sides had to compromise. It was just some little things here and there—paperwork, medical, and a few issues that we just couldn’t get over the line.”
Mikel expressed his exhaustion from being in the thick of the negotiations, revealing the immense effort he put into the deal.
“I was the guy right in the middle of everything,” Mikel continued. “There were a couple of days I didn’t sleep. Thursday, I didn’t sleep. On Friday, I didn’t sleep. I’m here in Dubai, it’s about three, four hours different, so I have to wait for phone calls, I think in the middle of the night. On Thursday, I slept around 4 a.m. in the morning because I was waiting for phone calls from this side and phone calls from that side.”
Beyond Chelsea, Osimhen had received a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli, who tabled a £55 million bid for his services.
However, the striker turned down the Saudi offer, further fueling speculation about his future. Mikel affirmed that despite multiple offers, Osimhen had one clear destination in mind—Chelsea.
“I said we have to send somebody down to see Victor, and that will change the way he sees things, and then he will understand how much the club wants him to come. The club sends somebody to Naples and tries to speak to Victor and his agent to make sure we get the deal done. It just shows how much the club was willing to have the player, and how eager the club was to get Victor.”
Mikel reiterated that Osimhen’s desire to join Chelsea was not just for financial reasons but for the opportunity to prove himself in the Premier League.
“I know he really wanted to come to the club because he still knows he has a lot to prove in Europe. He wants to come to Chelsea. He wants to come in and help the club to get back to where we should be. He knows he can score a lot of goals here in the Premier League, and what a better place to do that than, you know, his childhood club, Chelsea,” he said.
Despite Mikel’s efforts and Osimhen’s apparent willingness to make the move, the deal ultimately collapsed.
Osimhen has since expressed his excitement about joining Galatasaray, where he looks forward to a new chapter in his career.
“When I heard of the interest from Galatasaray, it was a very easy decision for me,” Osimhen said on the club’s website. “I knew how big Galatasaray was and how much like a family it was, and it had incredible fans.”
While Osimhen’s move to Chelsea may have fallen through, his future remains bright, and he will undoubtedly continue to attract interest from top European clubs in the seasons to come.
