In a dramatic turn of events during the 2024 summer transfer saga, Nigeria and Napoli international, Victor Osimhen’s much-anticipated move to Chelsea has fallen apart.
With just two hours remaining before the transfer window closed, the Nigerian striker and the Premier League club failed to finalize an agreement.
Osimhen’s potential transfer to Saudi Arabia has also hit a dead end. Al Ahli, once a serious contender for the striker, opted instead to sign Brentford’s Ivan Toney on deadline day.
Earlier reports suggested that Osimhen was torn between a possible move to Al Ahli and Chelsea’s proposal, which included an initial loan deal with an option to buy. However, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano confirmed that the Chelsea deal is no longer on the table, leaving fans and pundits speculating on the striker’s future.
The collapse of the Chelsea deal is further complicated by a significant rift between Osimhen and Napoli. Romano reported that if no new bid comes from Saudi Arabia within the next three days—before the Saudi Pro League transfer window closes—Osimhen faces the risk of being sidelined from Napoli’s first-team squad.
“Deal completely OFF for Victor Osimhen. No agreement with Chelsea and the Chelsea delegation now leaving Napoli. If nothing happens from Saudi in the next 3 days, Osimhen will stay at Napoli but he’s NOT gonna be part of the first-team squad. The relationship with Napoli is currently completely broken,” the transfer specialist tweeted on his verified X (formerly Twitter) page on Friday night.
Napoli had previously agreed on a fee in the region of £67 million with Al Ahli, but Sky Sports reported that the Saudi club became frustrated when Napoli demanded more money for Osimhen, leading them to pivot towards Ivan Toney, who completed a £40 million move to Al Ahli after passing his medical in London on Deadline Day.
Al Ahli, known for their considerable financial muscle, insisted they would sign only one of the two strikers—Osimhen or Toney—and ultimately chose the simpler deal for Toney.
Romano tweeted, “Ivan Toney to Al Ahli, here we go! The deal is completed between clubs with Brentford for £40m package. Medical done, contract agreed, and Ivan will travel to Saudi this weekend to be presented. Osimhen deal is OFF today and Toney is now finally done.”
As Chelsea’s pursuit faltered, other potential suitors like Paris Saint-Germain, who had previously shown interest, have stayed out of the race, refusing to meet Napoli’s steep asking price.
The failed move to the Saudi Pro League is not surprising, given that Osimhen’s agent, Roberto Calenda, had recently stated that they would not accept a move and that Osimhen wanted to remain in Europe.
“Osimhen is a Napoli player, with a contract recently renewed to our mutual satisfaction. He made history in blue and when there were important offers (this year too) we always accepted the club’s decisions.
“As I have already said, he is not a package to be sent far away to make room for new prophets. Victor was elected African Footballer of the Year, eighth in the Ballon d’Or, he still has a lot to say in Europe. Respect and balance are needed,” Calenda said.
The Breakdown with Napoli
Osimhen’s relationship with Napoli has been tense for some time, stemming from a September 2023 incident when Napoli posted a TikTok video perceived as mocking Osimhen after he missed a penalty. Though the video was quickly deleted and Napoli claimed no offense was intended, the damage was done.
Osimhen, who played a key role in Napoli ending their 33-year wait for a league title during the 2022-23 season by finishing as Serie A’s top scorer with 26 goals, was furious with the club. The situation worsened when he removed all Napoli-related images from his social media accounts. Despite the club’s assurances that no mockery was intended, Napoli never issued a formal apology.
“To avoid any potential exploitation of the matter, Napoli would like to explicitly state that the club never intended to offend or make fun of Victor Osimhen, who is an asset to the club.
“Over the course of the summer, Napoli rejected all offers to sign the striker – firm proof of the club’s appreciation of him. On social media and TikTok particularly, expressive language is used in a light-hearted and playful manner. In this case, involving Victor, there was no intention of mockery or derision. If Victor was in any way offended, this was not at all in the club’s intentions,” Napoli posted on its official website.
Osimhen’s agent, Calenda, threatened legal action, but this ultimately resulted in the 25-year-old signing a new deal that runs until 2026 with Napoli—a move that has been met with criticism by many of Osimhen’s fans.
This was followed by another conflict with agent Mamuka Jugeli, who represents Napoli’s star player Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, after Jugeli suggested that Osimhen would leave Napoli for Saudi Arabia at the end of the 2023/24 season despite his new contract.
Osimhen responded with a strongly worded rebuke, saying, “Dear Mamuka Jugeli, you are a piece of filth and a disgrace. I’m embarrassed at your sense of reasoning. Keep my name out of your mouth!!!”
His agent added, “The alleged words of agent Mamuka Jugeli are bad, superficial, and unacceptable. These words create problems for my player Victor Osimhen with Napoli fans without any reason or basis in reality. We have just signed a contract renewal and Victor’s only wish, in addition to the Africa Cup of Nations, is to help Napoli. Everything else is rubbish.”
The relationship between Osimhen and Napoli has deteriorated significantly over the past few weeks. Sources close to the situation indicate that the final straw came when Osimhen’s agent publicly criticized Napoli’s handling of transfer negotiations. This has severely damaged the trust between the player and the club, making reconciliation unlikely.
Where It Stands Now
Victor Osimhen’s future is now shrouded in uncertainty. With the Chelsea deal off the table and potential moves to Saudi Arabia no longer an option, all eyes are on Napoli to see how they will manage the situation, especially with Romelu Lukaku arriving from Chelsea. The football world will be closely watching as Osimhen’s sit
