Osimhen’s £500,000-a-week demand hinders Chelsea move

Victor Osimhen's potential transfer to Chelsea is in jeopardy due to his steep wage demand of £500,000 per week, according to *Punch Sports Extra*. The Nigerian striker, who is expected to leave Napoli this summer after reportedly submitting a transfer request, may see his move to Stamford Bridge fall through unless he agrees to lower his salary expectations.

Paris Saint-Germain also has a strong interest in signing Osimhen, while Arsenal is monitoring the situation, ready to formalize their interest if the opportunity arises.

Osimhen, who joined Napoli from Lille in 2020, signed a new contract with the Italian club in December 2023, raising his monthly salary to £1.29 million, nearly double his previous earnings. This salary increase was a reward for his outstanding performance during the 2022/23 season, where he led Napoli to their first Serie A title in 33 years and claimed the league's top scorer award with 26 goals.

Despite his eagerness to leave the Diego Maradona Stadium this summer, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has reported that Osimhen is unwilling to take a pay cut to facilitate a move to Chelsea. Romano also indicated that negotiations could stretch into the final week of the transfer window, with Osimhen's future still uncertain.

According to *The Sun*, Osimhen's demand for a £500,000 weekly wage has stalled talks with Chelsea, as the club is reluctant to meet these terms while trying to reduce its wage bill this season. This effort is part of the reason they are considering offloading Raheem Sterling. If Chelsea were to meet Osimhen's wage demands, it would make him the highest-paid player in the Premier League.

Chelsea, having already signed Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid, are still in need of a reliable goal-scoring striker. With less than a week left in the transfer window, the club has been intensifying its search. However, negotiations with Napoli and Osimhen’s representatives have been ongoing throughout the summer without success. Chelsea initially proposed a loan deal due to their reluctance to meet Osimhen’s €130 million release clause. The striker’s £500,000-a-week wage demand has further complicated talks, and Chelsea may now abandon their pursuit of the player.