October 10th 2024.
It was the talk of the town in the summer transfer window - Victor Osimhen's potential move to Chelsea. However, Napoli director Mauro Meluso has recently confirmed that the Nigerian striker is still available for the right price in the upcoming January transfer window.
Osimhen had expressed his desire to leave Napoli at the end of last season, which led to intense speculation about his future. Teams like Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, and Al-Ahli from the Saudi Pro League were all linked to the 25-year-old forward.
In fact, Chelsea even sent a delegation to Naples to negotiate a deal for Osimhen, but unfortunately, it fell through before the transfer deadline. As a result, Osimhen went on to join Galatasaray on loan where he has already made an impact with two goals and two assists in just three appearances in the Super Lig.
However, recent reports from Italy suggest that Osimhen could be on the move again this winter, and he is still "very interested" in a potential switch to Chelsea. This is good news for the Blues, especially since Osimhen's release clause of €130 million is no longer active due to his loan move to Galatasaray. He will now be available for just €81 million in January.
According to Napoli director Meluso, Osimhen's decision to leave was due to his desire to no longer be a part of the first-team. He also revealed that the Nigerian striker had received a tempting offer even before he arrived at Napoli, but the club's chairman, Aurelio De Laurentiis, turned it down in the best interest of the team.
Before joining Galatasaray on loan, Osimhen signed a contract extension with Napoli until 2027, which shows the club's determination to protect the value of their asset. If Chelsea triggers Osimhen's buyout clause of £68 million, Napoli will receive £63 million, while Galatasaray will get the remaining £5 million.
According to Meluso, the loan move to Galatasaray was a last-minute solution to avoid Osimhen from losing the first three months of the season. However, it seems like his future is still uncertain as we approach the January transfer window. Only time will tell if Chelsea will make a move for the talented striker once again.
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