Fabrizio Romano shares updates on Chelsea’s pursuit of Victor Osimhen
Transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano has provided insights into Chelsea’s ongoing pursuit of Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen.
Romano previously reported that Chelsea was interested in securing Osimhen on loan, provided there was an obligation to buy included in the agreement with Napoli. However, recent updates suggest that finalizing such a deal might not be straightforward due to financial constraints.
Chelsea remains cautious about breaching Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations, which was one of the reasons they initially backed away from pursuing Osimhen. The financial implications of a permanent transfer deal are significant, as Chelsea would need to match Osimhen’s current salary at Napoli and handle a substantial transfer fee.
On his Playback platform, Romano discussed the complexities of the deal: “Chelsea have not discussed an obligation for Osimhen because it would be too expensive!” he said. “Chelsea on a permanent deal for Osimhen would have to give Osimhen the same salary as he’s on at Napoli; imagine this for four years then the transfer fee. Today, this could be complicated for Chelsea for FFP.”
Romano added that Chelsea has faced similar issues with other players, citing Nico Williams and Michael Olise as examples where the financial package was substantial.
As of now, Osimhen has not expressed interest in a straight loan move, which complicates Chelsea’s efforts. Romano noted, “Osimhen is not opening the door as of today to a straight loan. If he changes his mind or if no other clubs move for him in the coming weeks, then we will see. But Chelsea doesn’t have a green light from Osimhen for a straight loan move.”
Chelsea may need to either persuade Osimhen to agree to a loan move without an obligation to buy or find another creative solution to strike a deal with Napoli.
In addition to Osimhen, Chelsea is also considering Spanish-Nigerian striker Samu Omorodion as a secondary option. However, Atletico Madrid is keen on retaining Omorodion, which adds another layer of difficulty to Chelsea’s search for a new striker.
