Enzo Maresca Explains Why Chelsea Didn’t Push Harder for Victor Osimhen Amid Salary Dispute
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca explained why the club did not aggressively pursue Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, despite needing a striker and being linked with the Nigerian forward throughout the summer.
The Blues were expected to make a bid earlier but only started serious negotiations in the final days of the transfer window. Ultimately, a deal wasn’t reached by the deadline.
In a press conference following Chelsea’s 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace, Maresca stated, “We want players, but we want them on our terms.
If the players aren’t here, it means the conditions weren’t right for us.” When asked if the club might revisit the Osimhen situation in January, Maresca remained non-committal, saying, “We’ll see from here to January. I like to focus on the immediate future, so we will see in January.”
Reports from Sky Sport Italia and Corriere dello Sport suggest the main sticking point was Chelsea’s salary offer. Osimhen currently earns over €10 million per season at Napoli, but Chelsea’s offer was only €4 million guaranteed, with an additional €2 million in performance-related bonuses and €2 million if the team qualified for the Champions League. This total offer was less than half of what Osimhen currently earns, which he found unacceptable.
Earlier, Osimhen had agreed to a €40 million per season contract with Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League, but the deal fell through when Napoli requested an extra €5 million in bonuses.
With both deals off the table, Osimhen remains at Napoli, where manager Antonio Conte has indicated he will not be welcomed back into the squad.
Enzo Maresca Explains Why Chelsea Didn’t Push Harder for Victor Osimhen Amid Salary Dispute
