A FIFA Technical Committee member and former Super Eagles captain, Sunday Oliseh, has shed light on the reasons top European clubs snubbed Victor Osimhen in the ongoing transfer window.
Oliseh claimed that despite Osimhen’s proven goal-scoring prowess, leading Napoli and Galatasaray to league titles, the financial demands tied to his transfer priced him out of moves to clubs like Manchester United and Chelsea.
Oliseh, in a detailed breakdown circulated on social media, said that Osimhen’s transfer fee wasn’t just about Napoli’s €75 million asking price.
He claimed that the total cost of acquiring and maintaining Osimhen over four years amounted to about €187 million.
He said this figure included the transfer fee, a 10% resale clause to Napoli, and Osimhen’s €15 million net annual salary, equating to €28 million gross per year.
According to him, this is the reason top European clubs snubbed Osimhen.
He said: “Let’s get one thing very clear, for the fans, football is passion, love, but for all the actors involved in football, it is business.
“The real price for acquiring and maintaining Osimhen ly €187m,” Oliseh stated, highlighting how the striker’s wages alone would cost approximately €112 million over a four-year contract period.
“The second part – the wages of Osimhen. It’s at €15m net, that’s €28m a year. If you multiply it by four, you are coming to €112million. This has been the major problem for clubs trying to acquire Osimhen.”
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that Osimhen’s transfer saga dominated much of the summer window, with the Nigerian international’s relationship with Napoli becoming increasingly strained as negotiations dragged on.
However, after several back and forth, Galatasaray was able to permanently sign Osimhen.
Galatasaray’s acquisition of Osimhen represents the most expensive signing in Turkish football history, with the club reportedly paying the full €75 million transfer fee upfront alongside his annual million15m net salary.
