Chelsea handed boost in pursuit of Serie A star who has been loaned out with lower release clause

One of the issues Chelsea wanted to sort out this summer was their forward situation.

Romelu Lukaku, back from a loan stint at Roma, needed to be offloaded, while Chelsea were heavily linked with a move for a proven forward to strengthen their front line.

Moves for none of the names Chelsea were linked with—Ivan Toney, Jonathan David, and Victor Osimhen being a few of them—materialised, though Chelsea were manage to send Lukaku back to Italy permanently this time.

Now that Osimhen has sealed a loan move to Galatasaray for the season, let’s see his new contract situation that may make things easier for Chelsea next season.

Explained: Osimhen’s new contract with Napoli after sealing Galatasaray loan

Having secure the Galatasaray loan move, Osimhen now has a reduced €75m release clause in his contract.

Napoli were unable to find a buyer willing to activate Osimhen’s previous three-figure release clause. Even attempts at reducing their asking price did not excite any suitor in what was a relatively depreciated market.

Ultimately, Osimhen had to choose between staying in Europe anyhow while leaving Napoli and making a switch to Saudi Arabia; understandably, he went with the former.

With the reigning Süper Lig champions covering €10 million of his wages for the season, Osimhen has a contract with Napoli that runs until June 2026, with the 2022/23 Serie A champions holding the option to extend the deal for another year.

Much to think about

Having been able to negotiate an exit for Lukaku means Chalsea would find Napoli more amenable towards an agreement for Osimhen next summer, especially after the latter were dealt a huge blow in their expectations for their Nigerian star this summer. It would also help Chelsea if they qualify for next season’s Champions League.

Also, the move to Türkiye is a good chance for Osimhen to put up some good numbers to entice his suitors for a proper move next summer. His reputation, after all, did take a heavy hit on the back of Napoli’s tenth-place finish in the Serie A last season, during which he made just 32 appearances, scoring 17 goals.

In the meantime, only time will tell whether Chelsea come to regret not going the extra mile and getting a proven forward in this summer. They have started their season in exciting fashion, but that is a double-edged sword.

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