- Chelsea chased Osimhen's signature late in summer transfer window
- Former Blues midfielder Mikel publicly involved in saga in recent months
- Mikel offers his perspective on failed transfer
By Tom Gott
Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has claimed the Blues were agonisingly close to signing striker Victor Osimhen on transfer deadline day.
Talks over a loan move for Osimhen dragged on until the final hours of the summer transfer window but ultimately led to nothing, after which the striker sealed a shock loan to Galatasaray when it became clear he would not play for Napoli again this season.
Osimhen has faced plenty of criticism from a section of Chelsea fans for his alleged role in the collapse of negotiations, but fellow Nigerian Mikel, who has made no secret of his role in trying to bring Osimhen to Stamford Bridge, moved to set the record straight.
"Everyone knows I was involved in the deal," he told The Obi One Podcast. "I was involved in trying to get Victor Osimhen to the club. A lot happened. I hear a lot of people saying this and saying that about Victor and how greedy he is, 'take a paycut and come to Chelsea', stuff like that...
"I just want to categorically state here that - I know the kid, I know the boy since the very first day he joined the national team. My relationship with him has been very, very good. Since then, we have kept in contact. I just want to say that is absolutely not true. Victor is not a greedy guy, he just wants to get what he deserves, and that's not a problem."
Quizzed on reports of salary demands of £500,000 per week, Mikel replied: "No, he wasn't asking for that, that's bulls**t. I know what happened, I was there in the midst of everything. I can tell everybody that is definitely not true.
"We were very, very close, I'll put it that way. We were hours away from getting this deal done, but there were just slight issues, little problems that we just couldn't get over the line. Of course, then the medical couldn't be done, it was too late.
"But I know exactly where we stopped. I know exactly where we are with the deal. If, eventually in January we pick it up again, I know exactly where we have to start from. I was the guy right in the middle of everything. For a couple of days, I didn't sleep."
Mikel continued: "I know what Victor wanted, I know what the club offered. I know where we got to. We finally got to a compromise. Both sides had to compromise and we got to a compromise. Some little things here and there - paperwork, medicals and a few issues we couldn't get over the line. We didn't have much time.
"Both sides played their parts in terms of getting the deal done. I commend Chelsea for that, because I could see the ambition of where they want to take the club, and on Victor's side, how much he wanted to come to the club. He was disappointed it didn't happen."
The former Chelsea midfielder went on to insist that the Blues' relationship with Osimhen remains as strong as ever and, while he stressed a future transfer was far from guaranteed, Mikel claimed things could move quickly if both parties choose to re-enter talks in 2025.
"I know Victor really wanted to come to the club," he said. "He still knows he has a lot to prove in Europe. He wants to come to Chelsea and help the club get back to where we should be. He knows he can score a lot of goals in the Premier League.
"There are no issues [between Chelsea and Osimhen]. If we have to pick this up again in January or next summer, we know where we are. Just little details that need to be finalised and the deal will be done. I'm not going to rest, I'm going to make sure I get him to the club."
