Chelsea made epic mistake with failed £65million transfer for Harry Kane’s rival as world’s best No.9

Chelsea missed out on signing Victor Osimhen by offering him ‘around a third’ of his current Galatasaray wages.

That’s according to European football journalist Andy Brassell, who has opened up on the Blues‘ failed attempt to sign the striker for £65million in 2024.

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After making a name for himself at Napoli, Osimhen was heavily linked with a summer move to west London, but ended up joining Galatasaray on loan.

A successful loan spell in Istanbul saw him fire in 37 goals in 41 games, and a permanent move followed last summer.

Despite this, Osimhen has continued to be linked with a move to the Premier League, after keeping up his fine goalscoring form this term, with 19 goals in 28 outings altogether this term.

Lowballed

With the summer transfer window approaching, speculation has already begun that Osimhen could be on the move again.

And while no team appears to lead the race for his signature yet, rumblings continue over a mega-money Premier League switch.

Chelsea have once again been touted as a potential destination, with last summer’s signing Liam Delap struggling to make his mark as their new No.9.

Should the Blues make another play for Osimhen, they will be sure to learn from their past mistakes, when they failed to match the wages Galatasaray offered to lure him away from Napoli by some distance.

With Osimhen rumoured to be on £250,000 per week in Turkey, European football expert Brassell has revealed his sizeable demands date back to his transfer from Lille to Napoli in 2021.

He told talkSPORT: “If we go back to the beginning of when he left Lille for Napoli, [then manager] Gennaro Gattuso took a wage cut so they could sign Osmihen, because they knew that not just to pay him a massive fee, but to pay him decent wages, that’s what he was going to have to do. 

“Look, it was a great gift of Gattuso to Napoli after it really worked out for Osmihen eventually under Luciano Spalletti at Napoli. 

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“I think that was one of the things that meant the discussions between Chelsea and Osimhen didn’t really go that far.

“Because the top wage they would have offered him is probably about a third, maybe, of what he’s getting at Galatasaray, but maybe not even that much.”

Second time lucky?

With Osimhen still one of the most sought-after strikers on the market, Chelsea may well feel they have long overdue business to complete with the striker in the summer.

However, Brassell believes there are potential obstacles to a Stamford Bridge switch, as he claimed the Blues ownership may be unwilling to sanction a move for 27-year-old Osimhen.

In the last summer transfer window, the Blues’ nine permanent arrivals were all aged 23 or under, with Joao Pedro the marquee signing having joined in a £60million deal.

Discussing whether a move to Chelsea was realistic for Osimhen, Brassell said: “There are two sides to that. 

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“A. Do you consider it realistic within the BlueCo/ Clearlake model? Probably not, because they’re looking for younger players that they can develop and even, I’m sure, Joao Pedro’s on the cast, really. 

“And the other half is wages, because we’ve seen Chelsea pay massive fees, but more performance-based wages. 

“Now, we know that when Osmihen arrived in the first place, and no one’s judging him for prioritising money. He comes from an unbelievably poor background.

“And even if he didn’t, I don’t think we should be out here saying what players should or shouldn’t say they’re worth. And if they can get that money, good for them.”

‘Close to being the best’

Osimhen has earned a reputation as one of Europe’s deadliest strikers in recent years.

He fired Napoli to Serie A glory in 2023, notching 26 goals in 32 games, while he has only cemented his status at Galatasaray, where he boasts a staggering 56 goals in 69 outings.

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And Brassell believes Osimhen’s goalscoring numbers and all-round game put him among Europe’s very best in his position, namely Bayern Munich talisman Harry Kane.

He said “Osimhen is really close to being the best number nine in world football.”

Brassell went on: “In terms of a player who can give you something beyond scoring, he’s getting close to where Kane is, even though they’re very different sorts of players. 

“Anyone who’s been familiar with Osmihen’s game from Lille onwards has known he would be a massive hit in the Premier League. 

“It’s exhausting watching him. He’s so involved, he’s so implicated. He doesn’t need to score to influence the game, even though he’s a great goalscorer.

“The way he presses defenders, he’s an absolute pest. And he’s so physical, he’s so part of the game at all times. It’s brilliant. 

“I don’t think there’s any doubt if he was Chelsea’s number nine at the moment, they would be firmly ensconced in the Champions League places. For me, that’s not even a doubt.” 

The Blues are currently sixth in the Premier League after a run of one win in five matches.

They were ruthlessly dumped out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain in an 8-2 aggregate defeat on Tuesday.

As for Osimhen, his run in this season’s Champions League came to an end on Wednesday night.

Galatasaray were thumped 4-0 by Liverpool at Anfield, meaning Mario Lemina’s winner in the first leg – which was created by Osimhen – ended up being a mere consolation in a 4-1 aggregate defeat.