Chelsea and Victor Osimhen are still locked in talks over the makeup of the Nigerian forward wage structure.
Romelu Lukaku will also be moving to Napoli as part of the multi-layered transfer, which might extend until the final week of the window.
It is still possible that the agreement consists of a loan with a purchase option.
Right now, the two teams are almost in agreement on a win-win arrangement that would see well-known strikers switch positions.
Napoli are not able to afford Osimhen’s huge wages, which he recently signed as part of a new deal to help secure a higher transfer fee this summer.
Chelsea reluctant to splash the cash on Napoli star Victor Osimhen
Chelsea are more than willing to take the Nigerian because they are one of the few teams this summer willing to pay on a top No. 9 with commercial appeal.
That might also work out nicely because Lukaku has been on their books for a while, and Antonio Conte, the new manager of Napoli, views the Belgian as the perfect forward having worked with him in the past.
Osimhen and his team are holding out for the €12 million they believe they should receive from Napoli, despite the fact that practically everything is agreed upon on the Lukaku side.
Knowing that this is also necessary to increase the club’s commercial appeal, Chelsea are prepared to stray from their otherwise strict wage structure for a “star” like the 25-year-old.
However, part of the reason the discussions are taking so long is because of what are called “complex” conversations regarding the form of his deal.
Since Clearlake Capital became the majority owner, Chelsea’s approach to these contracts has changed, and the deals’ structure is reported to be more complex than rival clauses.
Similar to Osimhen’s contract, it would have a plethora of conditionals in addition to image rights terms and bonuses.
Other issues affecting Chelsea’s reluctance for Osimhen
Asides contractual issues surrounding the player, coupled with Napoli playing hardball, the Nigerian has been surrounded in controversy of late. The most notable coming in an incident where he publicly lashed out at Finidi George, who was the manager of the Nigeria national team at the time but has now been dismissed from his role.
It now appears that many clubs did not seem to like Osimhen’s professionalism or lack of it and are equally worried about his off-pitch behavior as well.
