John Obi Mikel acknowledges the ‘open secret’ surrounding Victor Osimhen’s transfer.

John Obi Mikel has disclosed that he played a significant part in efforts to bring Victor Osimhen to Chelsea.

The Napoli and Nigeria forward was frequently linked with the underperforming Premier League club throughout the summer transfer window but ultimately secured a loan move to Galatasaray.

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Osimhen’s impressive performance as Serie A’s top scorer helped Napoli secure their first league title in 33 years, so it was surprising to see him move to the Turkish Super Lig, ranked tenth in Europe.

However, according to former Chelsea player Mikel, both Chelsea and Osimhen were eager for the transfer to go through.

« A lot of things happened, and it’s no secret that I was part of the effort to make it happen, » he stated on his Obi One Podcast.

“I was instrumental in trying to bring Victor to Chelsea. It was a fascinating situation, especially hearing rumors that he was being unfairly labeled greedy.”

“I want to make it clear that I’ve known Victor since his first day on the national team, and we’ve maintained a great friendship ever since.”

“I know what he can achieve, and the claims that he’s greedy are completely false. He simply wants fair compensation for his talent, and that’s reasonable.”

“He was not demanding that outrageous figure of £500,000 a week. I was there and can confirm that’s not the case.”

“Victor just wants to focus on playing football and be appropriately compensated for his worth; wanting to be paid fairly is not a problem.”

During the closing days of the transfer window, Osimhen was strongly linked to both Chelsea and Saudi Pro League club Al Ahli, with reports suggesting he turned down a move to the latter.

It’s understood that the hold-up with Chelsea was due to contract terms, which Mikel hinted may still lead to a potential transfer in the future.

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“We were very close to completing the deal, but minor issues prevented us from sealing it,” Mikel noted. “Even if the deal had progressed, the medical could not have been completed.”

“I have a clear understanding of where the negotiations stalled and if a January move is on the table, I know precisely how we can proceed from there.”

“I was at the center of it all, and there were moments when I hardly slept.”