Sunday Oliseh Shares Major Issue With Victor Osimhen and Why Man United, Chelsea Avoided Him
- Sunday Oliseh says Victor Osimhen’s real price tag is €187 million, not just the €75m transfer fee paid by Galatasaray
- The Super Eagles striker’s €15m net annual salary reportedly scared off top clubs like Chelsea and Manchester United
- Turkish champions made Osimhen the most expensive signing in their history after paying €75m for the Nigerian forward
Former Super Eagles captain and FIFA Technical Committee member Sunday Oliseh has shed light on the behind-the-scenes reasons why Victor Osimhen’s move to the Premier League never materialised this summer.
After months of speculation linking Osimhen to the Premier League and other top European leagues, Turkish champions Galatasaray emerged as surprise winners in the transfer race.
Source: Getty Images
The Istanbul-based club reportedly agreed to pay Napoli’s €75 million asking price upfront while meeting Osimhen’s wage demands.
The move made Osimhen the most expensive signing in Turkish football history, according to Galatasaray’s official announcement.
It also ended a rocky relationship between the player and Napoli, which had soured over contract disputes and injury frustrations.
Why Premier League clubs avoided Osimhen
Oliseh emphasised that while football is driven by passion for fans, it remains a business for those directly involved.
“For the fans, football is passion and love, but for all the actors involved in football, it is business,” he stated.
The former Super Eagles captain explained that Osimhen’s reported €75 million transfer fee from Napoli to Galatasaray was only part of the picture, Punch reports.
Source: Getty Images
According to him, the true cost of signing and retaining the Nigerian forward amounted to an eye-watering €187 million when factoring in long-term wages.
The real cost of signing Osimhen
Breaking down the numbers, Oliseh further explained that Osimhen’s net annual salary is €15 million, which, after tax adjustments, totals €28 million gross per year.
Throughout a four-year contract, this figure balloons to €112 million in wages alone.
“When you multiply €28 million by four, you come to €112 million. Add that to the €75 million transfer fee, and you see the real cost of acquiring Osimhen is €187 million,” Oliseh explained.
This financial reality was the primary reason for clubs like Manchester United and Chelsea, which both expressed interest in signing the 26-year-old, to back out, per Daily Post.
While they might have been able to meet Napoli’s transfer fee, the long-term wage commitment proved to be a deal-breaker.
Oliseh stressed that for clubs, signing a player of Osimhen’s status is more than just covering the initial transfer payment; it is about sustaining the investment over several years.
Osimhen's character was never the problem
In a conversation with Legit.ng, Nigerian football expert, Toritseju Williams, backed up Oliseh claims after he insisted that character was not the reason Premier League clubs pulled out of the Osimhen deal.
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Victor Osimhen breaks unique record in Turkey following transfer from Napoli to Galatasaray
"It was widely reported that Osimhen's character was the main reason why English clubs did not want him. However, that's not the case.
"His salary was the major issue as these clubs understand they cannot spend that much for someone who might not generate a good resale value due to his age."
Osimhen generates huge amount for Galatasaray
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Turkish club Galatasaray have continued to rake in the cash following the placement of Victor Osimhen's exclusive collector boxes.
Priced at 9,999 Turkish Lira (approximately €210) each, the boxes have raked in roughly 200 million Turkish Lira (around €4.2 million) in revenue, from 20,000 pre-orders within just days of their launch.
Source: Legit.ng
