Gazzetta dello Sport reveals the inside story of Osimhen's transfer: Jeddah National has a high annual salary, but Chelsea's transfer fee is high

This summer, there was a lot of drama surrounding the transfer of 100 million euro striker Osimhen. In the end, he is about to join Galatasaray on loan. Gazzetta dello Sport wrote an article detailing the intertwined stories between the player, Naples, Paris, Chelsea and Jeddah National.

The happy ending in "overtime" made everyone breathe a sigh of relief. Victor Osimhen's short-term loan to Galatasaray finally ended the months of temptation, misunderstanding and impulse that put Naples and the Nigerian striker in a dilemma. It was supposed to be a record transfer in the summer of 2024, but it turned into a real mess.

There will be time to figure out who made mistakes and who asked too much, but it is certain that the 130 million euro release clause seemed too exaggerated from the beginning. This number is unattainable in the era of financial fair play in the Premier League and UEFA. Therefore, PSG withdrew from the negotiation process, especially after De Laurentiis rejected the package price of Kvaratskhelia and Osimhen. In Paris, the management put the brakes on and what seemed a matter of course became impossible, even though the French club's management had long reached an agreement with the player.

However, behind the scenes there was always Chelsea, who were obviously interested in replacing Lukaku with the striker. And on the London side, perhaps the most surprising obstacle appeared. For example, 10 days ago, the management of the Napoli club had actually reached an agreement with Osimhen to offer him a severance package of 15 million euros. This was an important figure, enough for him to accept Chelsea's proposal of 6 million euros per season after tax. A little calculation, the striker's average annual income can reach 9 million euros. That's not a small amount.

However, Osimhen and his representatives were not satisfied with this solution. At the same time, National of Jeddah proposed a lucrative contract for four years and an annual salary of 40 million euros. The total amount was as high as 160 million euros, which undoubtedly attracted his team. The situation in Naples was different, because De Laurentiis initially wanted the Saudi club to pay the same transfer fee as Chelsea, that is, 80 million euros. However, the Arabs were only willing to offer 65 million euros. For the Naples boss, this number was too little, and he tried to find a compromise solution... but failed, because the Jeddah national turned to Ivan Toni within a few hours. The breakdown of the negotiations made Osimhen very unhappy, and he was waiting for good news at the Park Hotel in Naples. People around him could not avoid hearing his roar.

In short, there were several key moments in this incident, and the parties were obviously driven by opposing interests. However, now, they have reached a compromise that satisfies everyone. Osimhen has reached an agreement with Galatasaray that he can choose to leave if he receives an invitation from a top club in January. At the same time, he renewed his contract for another year with Napoli, who this time agreed to reduce the release clause to €80 million: the amount they had agreed with Chelsea.

Throughout the process, the fiscal growth decree has been at work. Because Osimhen enjoys tax benefits that net him €11 million per year, while Napoli's total expenditure is €14.3 million. It is also for this reason that De Laurentiis asked for a one-year extension. On the one hand, he took the risk of paying for one more year, while also ensuring a tax saving. Plus the amortization of the €75 million investment in 2019 can be spread out further. In the event of a sale, De Laurentiis will be guaranteed a net gain.

All in all, this solution looks extremely wise after a series of events full of drama and skirmishes. It is a lesson for everyone.