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Victor Osimhen has been linked with a move to Chelsea for years and a fresh opportunity to sign the Galatasaray striker has emerged ahead of the summer
Chelsea's chances of signing Victor Osimhen have been handed a major boost amid the emergence of a secret clause in his contract. The Nigerian striker, who came close to joining the Blues in 2024, moved to Galatasaray from Napoli last summer, after spending the 2024/25 season on loan in Istanbul.
The transfer brought to an end years of speculation linking him with a move to the Premier League, with Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool also monitoring the forward at different stages. However, speculation is ramping up again, particularly after Osimhen admitted he does "not know what the future holds" for him, fuelling talk of a potential summer exit.
Juventus appeared to be lining up a blockbuster move for the 27-year-old, but a reported stipulation in Osimhen's Galatasaray contract means a switch to Turin isn't just unlikely - it's basically impossible. Here, football.london explains all.
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Secret clause
Rumours of a potential summer move to Juventus intensified last week after Osimhen refused to celebrate following a goal against the Bianconeri in the Champions League. He later explained this was out of respect for former Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti, who is now at Juve.
Nevertheless, Juventus' hopes of signing Osimhen look all but dashed since, according to Gazzetta dello Sport, Galatasaray would be liable to pay Napoli a £61million (€70m) compensation fee if they sell Osimhen to another Serie A club this year. That figure is said to fall to £53m (€60m) next year before the stipulation expires entirely on September 1, 2027.
Such a financial deterrent makes a return to Italy unlikely in the near future - and may provide Premier League clubs with a clear edge, as they would not confront the same barrier when chasing the striker. Talk of interest from Chelsea has gone quiet, but the Blues might be tempted to revive their interest given the difficulties endured by summer recruit Liam Delap, who has scored just twice in 25 appearances so far.
After all, much of the groundwork for a transfer has already been laid. They had virtually settled terms with Napoli on a loan deal that included an obligation to buy for roughly £70m, only for negotiations to collapse over Osimhen's salary demands.
Man Utd's snub
Chelsea were not alone among English teams in considering a swoop for Osimhen. United were frequently mentioned as contenders and had an opportunity to sign him in 2023 following his 31-goal, title-clinching season with Napoli.
However, with the Italian champions demanding around £100m, United eventually stepped back. Ex-Red Devils assistant Benni McCarthy has since revealed that Osimhen's potential absences due to the Africa Cup of Nations were internally regarded as a significant "stumbling block."
"If you spend £100m on a player, you don't want to lose him for AFCON," McCarthy told the BBC last month. "I think he would have been very successful there. But it was a big stumbling block.
"Losing him for so many important matches, the team suffers not having the main striker there. So the decision was made. Literally [a] big part was because of the AFCON and Victor Osimhen's name got scratched off - not a player of interest because of that."
United instead opted for Rasmus Hojlund, acquiring the Danish forward from Atalanta in a £72m transfer. After a largely disappointing two-year period leading the line at Old Trafford - producing 26 goals in 95 outings - Hojlund moved to Osimhen's former side Napoli on loan last summer.
Liverpool namedropped
Galatasaray have been drawn against Liverpool in the Champions League round of 16 - the very opponents Osimhen admitted he wanted to avoid. The Istanbul club secured progression to the knockout stage with an exhilarating 7-5 aggregate triumph over Juventus in the play-offs.
Having claimed a 5-2 win in the opening leg, Gala looked well positioned to go through. However, Juve mounted a dramatic comeback in the second leg, surging into a 3-0 advantage - despite playing much of the contest with 10 men - to force extra time. Osimhen ultimately tipped the balance back towards Galatasaray, netting in extra time to regain their aggregate edge before Baris Alper Yilmaz sealed qualification with a late strike.
Prior to the draw, Galatasaray were aware they would meet either Liverpool or Tottenham in the last 16, and Osimhen was open about his stance. He admitted he hoped to avoid the Reds, cautioning that they would be "out for revenge" following Galatasaray's earlier group-stage success against them in September.
"I mean to be honest with you, meeting Liverpool now is going to be like some sort of revenge," he told CBS Sports. "Anyone we meet now... I wouldn't say much but I would like to escape Liverpool. But if they come, yeah, we're going to dig it out but it's not going to be easy.
"I mean this is Champions League, no team is easy... If you want to win you also have to play the big dogs and make a statement for yourself. We've met Liverpool but we haven't played at Anfield. If we meet them it's going to be an amazing game."
Although Osimhen appears to hold Arne Slot's team in high regard, their twin acquisitions of Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak last summer for a combined fee of around £200m effectively eliminates them from any realistic race to sign him.
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