Chelsea Has Rejected Victor Osimhen’S Demand For A Weekly Salary Of £500,000.

Femi Solaja with agency report

Victor Osimhen’s highly anticipated move to West London with Chelsea has hit a roadblock as the club has rejected his demand for a £500,000-a-week salary from Stamford Bridge.

Osimhen’s potential transfer has been the talk of the market, with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea vying for the signature of the Napoli forward. However, the Nigerian’s next destination is now uncertain, as his stay at the former Italian champions seems to be coming to an end.

According to The Sun, Osimhen’s exorbitant salary demand would make him the highest-paid player in the Premier League.

Chelsea has been working diligently all summer to finalize the deal, engaging in ongoing talks with the player’s representatives and Napoli. However, an agreement is yet to be reached.

Initially, the Stamford Bridge side attempted to secure Osimhen’s services on loan, as they were unwilling to pay his £110 million release clause. Unfortunately, the Italian club rejected the proposal. Napoli, however, was open to letting Osimhen go and lowered their asking price to £85 million. It is now the player’s wages that are proving to be a stumbling block.

Osimhen has already formally requested a transfer from Napoli and is expected to leave the club this summer, regardless of whether his move to Chelsea materializes. PSG has also shown interest in the 25-year-old, although their pursuit has cooled off for now.

Chelsea is keen on securing the deal, as Osimhen has long been identified as a long-term target for the club. However, meeting the player’s wage demands, or even coming close, would require the Blues to significantly reduce their wage bill.

Due to the remarkable salary demands, the Sun reports that Chelsea has started exploring alternative options for a striker. Federico Chiesa from Juventus and Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin have been identified as two cheaper alternatives by the West London club.

While Chelsea has already welcomed five attacking players to Stamford Bridge this summer, head coach Maresca has expressed his desire for one more striker. Although Christopher Nkunku and Cole Palmer can play in the striker role if needed, the club currently only has two natural No. 9s in their squad – Nicolas Jackson and new signing Marc Guiu, who arrived from Barcelona.