No move for Victor Osimhen, What's next?

Victor Osimhen following the close of the 2024 summer transfer window will remain at Napoli ahead of the next transfer window and here is how this will affect things.

Following the close of the 2024 summer transfer window in Europe, Napoli's Victor Osimhen has failed to secure a desired move out of Italy, questions as to what is next for his future have dominated social media trends and here is what we know so far.

Victor Osimhen's transfer saga

Following the official confirmation that the June 2024 transfer window opened in June, reports of a possible Victor Osimhen departure from Napoli became the order of the day. Reports indicated that both the club and the Nigerian international had reached a mutual agreement to that effect with a release clause estimated to be at 150 million euros max.

Things however did not go according to plan as an initial bid for Osimhen from PSG came in at 80 million euros plus with the player already reaching an agreement on personal terms with the club.

This bid was however rejected by Napoli and questions of possible sabotage from the Serie A side began to surface.

PSG were however not the only side who showed interest in signing Victor Osimhen Chelsea who had been long-term admirers of the forward also rekindled their January 2024 interest in signing the Nigerian international.

Chelsea and Victor Osimhen saga

The lengthy saga between Victor Osimhen and Chelsea has been categorized as one for the books. Chelsea with financial restrictions could not actively match the player's high valuation without risking a possible investigation.

The Blues opted for a loan move with an obligation to buy but could also not meet the wage structure of Victor Osimhen given their new wage structure at the club.

The player's high wage structure which Chelsea found difficult to match, is cited as one of the reasons for the collapse in negotiations. There were more issues with personal terms in terms of how much Osimhen is expected to earn weekly and the total amount of money needed to get the Nigerian striker to Stamford Bridge.

Fabrizio reported that the Chelsea-Victor Osimhen deal was off in the final hours of the window because no deal between both sides was reached,  and their delegation left Napoli following the breakdown of the negotiations.

What did Victor Osimhen do wrong?

Victor Osimhen's summer 2024 transfer window could have gone smoothly without a contract extension.

The Nigerian international signed a two-year contract in December 2023, which saw him get a higher release clause, extend his stay at the club till 2026 and also an increase in his wages.

This can be categorized as the genesis of the major challenge in the summer transfer window. Given Victor Osimhen's love for Napoli, it is a no-brainer that he opted for a contract extension with a higher release clause in a bid to reward the club he had come to love.

For many, this might be hard to understand, but players who have accomplished a lot with a particular club tend to have some sort of attachment, which the club often exploits.

For example, Trevor Chalobah of Chelsea was partially forced out of the club in the final days of the transfer window even as one of the players who joined from the academy.

Eyebrows have also been raised about the management of a player like Victor Osimhen and the lack of professionalism behind it which has left the player vulnerable and undervalued by top clubs in Europe.

What's next for Victor Osimhen?

After three days, if nothing changes from Saudi Arabia, Victor Osimhen will remain at Napoli, although he will not be playing for the team, as the relationship between the player and the club is currently entirely ruined.

Victor Osimhen has been left out of Napoli’s squad recently due to ongoing tension surrounding his potential transfer.

There is a possibility that he may be out of  action until the transfer window opens again in January if no club in Saudi is interested in signing him and this is due to his allegedly tense relationship with Napoli.

It is expected that Victor Osimhen will move in January 2025 and it is essential that he works towards achieving the goal of playing in Europe once again. the AFCON 2025 qualifiers will be the best place for him to get minutes and stay fit ahead of the new transfer window in 2025.

It is also advisable that he reaches out to other agent with vast experience in negotiations and transfer-related situations to increase his chances of getting one of the best offers worthy of his position as one of Africa's biggest exports.

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