Chelsea on alert: Why Victor Osimhen will end up in the Premier League

Despite only joining Galatasaray permanently last summer, long-time Chelsea target Victor Osimhen is constantly linked with a transfer away.

The Istanbul giants may have changed Turkish football forever last year when they decided to break the bank – almost literally – with their summer business, forcing hated rivals Fenerbahce to similarly invest heavily in their squad.

Galatasaray obliterated their transfer record – which stood at just €18 million – by shelling out €75m on Osimhen, €31m on Wilfried Singo and €27.5m on Ugurcan Cakir. They also signed Ismaila Jakobs and Przemyslaw Frankowski for €8m and €7m, respectively.

This all amounted to an outlay of €148.5m, not counting the hefty wages these recruits, as well as free agent signings Leroy Sane and Ilkay Gundogan, command on a weekly basis. Gala only raised €18m from sales.

Naturally, then, questions have arisen over the sustainability of this approach. Telegrafi has crunched the numbers and sought to allay fears that this frivolous spending could come back to bite the club.

Could Gala be forced to sell Osimhen?

After raising around €275m in revenues last season, Gala are projected to make up to €350m this term, which certainly illustrates that they are a club capable of competing with European giants financially.

After beating Juventus to reach the Champions League round of 16, Galatasaray have made approximately €40m from their European run already, not counting TV income and other potential revenue sources attached to this competition.

All told, Galatasaray’s assets are valued at a net positive of €143m, while the club is also believed to be fully compliant with UEFA’s Squad Cost Ratio rule, thanks to the amortisation of transfer fees.

However, given the volatile nature of Turkish football, which has lost dozens of clubs due to financial mismanagement in recent decades, supporters are understandably a little uneasy about Gala’s sudden spending.

Indeed, some believe that Osimhen may not stay for long. The high cost of his wages – €15m per season – is a heavy burden on the club. In fact, there have been some rumours recently that the Nigeria star hasn’t been paid in two months.

This wouldn’t be entirely out of the ordinary. Former striker Alvaro Morata accused Gala of not honouring their contractual commitments last summer. However, the claims surrounding Osimhen are purely speculative at this point.

Whatever the case, reports are increasing that Osimhen could be on the move again this summer. He recently spoke glowingly of Juventus, who were in the mix to sign him last summer. However, Napoli refused to do business with a Serie A rival.

To prevent a move back to Italy in the near future, the reigning Serie A champions included a penalty clause in Osimhen’s deal with Gala. Gazzetta dello Sport has now revealed the details of this clause amid fresh links with Juventus.

The Italian publication claims that Gala would have to pay Napoli an additional €70m for Osimhen if he were to be sold back to Serie A in 2026. In 2027, the penalty fee reportedly stands at €50m.

The clause is only active for two years, but given the financial reality of Serie A, it effectively means that a transfer to Juventus – or any other Italian side – is virtually impossible as it would likely require a fee north of €100m in addition to his huge wages.

As a result, it is not difficult to imagine that Osimhen’s most realistic next destination, if he indeed had to leave Gala for financial reasons, would be the Premier League. Having repeatedly snubbed Saudi Arabia, the 27-year-old is clearly keen to remain in Europe.

PSG previously showed an interest, but a deal looks difficult now due to a self-imposed salary cap. This is the same reason why a move to Chelsea fell through in the past. The Blues were unwilling to pay his hefty wages.

However, Chelsea have continued to be linked with the Nigerian, and there are growing calls for the club to amend their transfer policy to bring in more established stars and leaders who can guide Liam Rosenior’s very young team.

Osimhen would be very expensive, but he would be exactly what Chelsea need.

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