Mikel Obi defends Osimhen’s snub to Chelsea

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Former Super Eagles and Chelsea midfielder Mikel John Obi has spoken about his involvement in Chelsea’s failed attempt to sign Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen during the summer transfer window.

Mikel, who spent more than a decade at Chelsea and won numerous trophies with the club, has never hidden his desire for Osimhen to join the Premier League side.

With the club’s attack struggling and in need of reinforcements, Mikel discussed and worked behind the scenes to reach a deal to bring Osimhen to Stamford Bridge, the former Chelsea man has now claimed.

However, despite Mikel’s efforts, the deal fell through, reportedly due to financial disagreements.

Given that Osimhen earns more than £200,000-a-week at Napoli, Chelsea would have had to offer a comparable salary to secure the striker.

Still, Chelsea reportedly provided a ridiculous amount which caused the deal to fall through.

Speaking on the Obi One podcast, Mikel shared his thoughts on Chelsea’s failed acquisition of the striker, which ultimately saw Osimhen sent out on loan to

Galatasaray.

The former Chelsea midfielder, who had described Osimhen as Chelsea’s “final piece of the puzzle”, was quick to defend his fellow Nigerian against accusations of greed that had emerged following the failed transfer.

“I mean, a lot of things happened and I think it’s an open secret that I was involved in the deal.

“I was involved in trying to make sure we got Victor to Chelsea, yeah, a lot of things happened, it was very interesting because I think I hear a lot of people saying this and that about Victor and how greedy he is and things like that.

“I just want to say here that I have known the boy since the first day he joined the national team, yes, my relationship with him has been very, very good.

“I know what he is capable of and I just want to say that that is not true at all,” Mikel explained.

“Victor is not a greedy guy. He just wants to get what he deserves. And that’s not a problem. I know what happened. I was there, in the middle of it all. So I can tell everyone that that’s not true.”

Despite a failed move to Chelsea, Victor Osimhen quickly turned his attention to his new challenge at Galatasaray, where he joined on loan from Napoli.

The Nigerian striker made an immediate impact, marking his return to competitive football with a goal that helped the Super Eagles secure a 3-0 victory over Benin Republic in their Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Osimhen’s next appearance will be for Nigeria as the Super Eagles take on Rwanda in Kigali on Tuesday in their ongoing AFCON qualifiers.

With Osimhen back fit and eager to prove his worth, all eyes will be on him as he continues to shine both at club and on the international stage.