According to reports, Victor Osimhen’s lucrative €12m net annual salary at Napoli has become a stumbling block to his dream move to the English Premier League.
The 25-year-old Nigerian striker has been linked to Chelsea, Arsenal, and Manchester United for the past two summer transfer windows, but these clubs seem to have lost interest due to his high wages.
Despite signing a contract extension with Napoli last December, Osimhen has made it clear that he intends to leave the club.
He was also linked to Paris Saint-Germain as a potential replacement for Kylian Mbappe, who has joined Real Madrid on a five-year deal, but that potential agreement also collapsed due to high salary demands.
Chelsea recently considered a creative solution to sign Osimhen in a swap plus cash deal involving Romelu Lukaku, who is a top target for new Napoli coach Antonio Conte.
However, the Blues board reportedly ended negotiations with Napoli due to Osimhen’s high salary demands.
Arsenal also attempted to sign Osimhen in a swap deal involving either Emile Smith Rowe or Takehiro Tomiyasu, but the move has stalled, and the Gunners are now focusing on RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko.
The 21-year-old Slovenian has a release clause of €65m and a contract valid until June 2028.
If Osimhen’s move to the Premier League fails to materialize, he may be forced to consider a move to the Saudi Professional League, where he previously turned down a lucrative €140m offer from Al-Hilal earlier this year.