Why Chelsea Cannot Sign Osihmen By Gbenga Afolayan

 






I don’t doubt that Victor Osimhen wants to play for Chelsea. The passion is there, the ambition is clear, and as a fellow Nigerian, I’m proud of how far he’s come. But in today’s football business, passion isn’t enough. Wages, tax systems, and financial regulations now dictate the terms of every transfer. And from what I can see, Osimhen’s salary expectations might be too heavy for Chelsea or almost any Premier League club at the moment.


Here’s why: 


Osimhen is currently on loan at Galatasaray from Napoli. According to multiple verified sources, he’s earning a net salary of €6 million per year, which translates to about €115,000 per week take-home pay. Napoli balances it up. Before this, when he signed a contract extension with Napoli in December 2023, he was earning roughly €12.8 million per year gross; that’s about €246,000 per week gross.


Now let’s do the math from Chelsea’s point of view.


The UK’s tax rate on top earners is 45%, not including National Insurance and other deductions. So, if Chelsea were to pay Osimhen £250,000 per week gross, he would only take home around £135,000 per week less than what he earns in Turkey right now. To match his current net earnings, Chelsea would need to offer him at least £350,000 to £400,000 per week gross. That’s an enormous wage packet, one that only a handful of Premier League players earn and even fewer deserve without question marks about long-term fitness or adaptation.


And then there’s the matter of Chelsea’s financial capacity. The club is already under the microscope when it comes to Financial Sustainability Rules (FSR), which limit spending to 70% of club turnover on wages, transfers, and agent fees. Chelsea’s wage bill is reportedly around £338 million per season, and this is without the revenue boost of Champions League football. The days of throwing money around without consequence are over. Clubs like Everton and Nottingham Forest have already faced point deductions for breaching these rules. Chelsea can’t afford to make the same mistake.


Add to that the fact that Osimhen has a €130 million release clause, and we’re now talking about a deal that could cost well over £200 million in transfer fees, wages, and bonuses over a 4-5 year contract. That’s an astronomical figure, even for a player of Osimhen’s quality. In truth, it’s not about whether Chelsea rates Osimhen. We do. It’s about whether signing him makes financial sense in this current economic climate. Right now, it doesn’t.


Unless Osimhen is willing to take a significant pay cut, or Napoli and Galatasaray agree to a dramatically reduced fee which seems unlikely. Therefore, the Chelsea move is more of a fantasy than a feasible transfer.

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