Football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has confidently stated that Victor Osimhen will not take a pay cut to facilitate his move to Chelsea, The PUNCH reports.
The Italian hinted that Chelsea’s pursuit of the Napoli striker could allegedly ‘go down to the final week of the transfer window’.
The Blues are in dire need of a striker capable of guaranteeing them goals, and with less than two weeks until the start of the new Premier League season, they have intensified their search.
Chelsea are reportedly closing in on a deal for Atletico Madrid attacker Samu Omorodion, but the London club are also heavily being linked with Osimhen, with the Super Eagles forward said to be ranking prominently on their wish list to lead their line during the 2024/25 campaign.The Nigeria international has emerged as one of the most sought-after strikers in Europe, having been linked with moves to Chelsea, Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, and Liverpool, among others.
However, his hefty €130m release clause has scared off many suitors, with PSG the only European club still keen on signing him.
There has been talk of a potential swap deal involving Romelu Lukaku, as Chelsea are unlikely to be in a position to activate the £113m release clause in his Napoli contract.
Osimhen is Serie A’s highest earner at around £325,000 a week. He signed a new contract with Napoli in the latter stages of last year, but he is expected to leave the club before the transfer window closes.According to Romano, Osimhen is not willing to accept a pay cut to move to Stamford Bridge, and a potential transfer for the Nigerian could ‘go down to the final week of the window’.
“Forget about Victor Osimhen taking a pay cut; he won’t reduce his salary. This will be a deal I think will go down to the final week of the window,” Football Transfers quotes Romano on their website.
Osimhen joined Napoli from Lille in the 2020 summer for a club record fee of €70m plus another €10m in bonuses.
The 25-year-old has been in top form for the Parthenopeans for the past two seasons, guiding them to their first Scudetto in over three decades in the 2022/23 season, scoring 26 league goals, which earned him the top scorer award.