Chelsea management turns down Osimhen’s £500,000-a-week demand
Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen’s touted move to West London with Chelsea is off the mark following the decision of the Blues to reject his £500,000-a-week salary demand from Stamford Bridge.
Osimhen’s proposed switch in the ongoing transfer window has been trending in the market with PSG and the London duo of Arsenal and Chelsea aiming to grab the Napoli forward but now the uncertainty of his next destination is in the air because stay at the former Italian champions, looks over for the Nigerian forward.
According to The Sun of London, the extraordinary salary demand would make Osimhen the highest-paid player in the Premier League.
The Blues have been working all summer long to get the deal over the line and talks with the striker’s representatives and Napoli have been ongoing for several weeks but it is understood that an agreement is still nowhere in sight.
The Stamford Bridge side originally tried to sign the Napoli star on loan as they were unwilling to pay his £110million release clause, but the Italian club rejected the proposal.
However, Napoli was willing to let Osimhen go and had to lower his asking price to £85m but the wages are proving a stumbling block.
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Osimhen is expected to leave Napoli this summer regardless of whether or not his deal with Chelsea goes through as the forward submitted a formal transfer request to the Italian club.
PSG are also interested in the 25-year-old but have cooled off their pursuit for now.
The Blues are eager to get the deal over the line since the Nigerian footballer has long been identified as a long-term target for the club.
However, to meet Osimhen’s wage demands or even come close, they have been working tirelessly to reduce their wage bill.
This is why we have seen many of Chelsea’s first-team players exiled and forced to train away from Enzo Maresca’s squad, including Ben Chilwell and Raheem Sterling.
The Sun reports that the Blues have started looking at alternatives for the Nigerian forward due to his remarkable wage demands.
Two cheaper options identified by the West London club are Federico Chiesa from Juventus and Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Five attacking players have already been welcomed to Stamford Bridge this summer but head coach Maresca has told the club that he wants one more striker.
Although Christopher Nkunku and Cole Palmer are both able to play the striker role if called upon, the Blues only have two natural No9s in their squad – Nicolas Jackson and new signing Marc Guiu, who arrived from Barcelona.
Super Eagles seal AFCON 2025 spot, draw 1-1 against Benin
Victor Osimhen’s late header helped the Super Eagles of Nigeria secure a 1-1 draw against Benin Republic in Abidjan, clinching their qualification for the 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Benin, playing their matches in Côte d’Ivoire, took an early lead in the 16th minute when Mohammed Tijani headed in a short corner.
The goal followed a period of sustained pressure from the Beninoise side on the Nigerian defence.
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Benin nearly doubled their advantage shortly afterwards, but goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali made a crucial save to keep Nigeria in the game.
Osimhen threatened as the first half progressed, with a powerful header that narrowly missed the target.
In the second half, Benin came close again, but a shot veered inches wide of the right post, sparing the Eagles further trouble.
With nine minutes remaining, Osimhen rose to the occasion, connecting with a precise cross from Moses Simon to level the score at 1-1.
With this result, the Super Eagles top Group D with 11 points from five matches, while Benin hold second place with seven points.
BREAKING: Super Eagles qualify for AFCON 2025
The Super Eagles of Nigeria have secured their qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, following Libya’s 1-0 victory over Rwanda in Kigali.
This result leaves Rwanda with five points from five matches, rendering them unable to surpass Nigeria in the standings, even if they win their upcoming match against the Super Eagles in Uyo.
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Currently, Nigeria leads Group D with 10 points, followed by Benin with six points, Rwanda with five, and Libya at the bottom with four points.
Benin remains in contention for the second qualification spot and will face Nigeria in a crucial match tonight.
Libya is set to host Benin in the final Group D game on Monday.
Mike Tyson back in ring to face Youtuber Paul
Nearly 40 years after making his professional debut, and 19 years after being battered into retirement, a 58-year-old Mike Tyson will climb back into the ring on Friday for a Netflix-backed bout that has drawn widespread condemnation across the boxing world.
Tyson, who terrorised the heavyweight division during an imperious reign in the late 1980s, is lacing up the gloves once more to take on Youtuber Jake Paul, 27, in an officially sanctioned fight at AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys, in Arlington, Texas.
The fight, which will be comprised of eight two-minute rounds, was initially due to take place in July but was postponed in May after Tyson required medical treatment on a flight from Miami to Los Angeles after vomiting blood due to a bleeding ulcer.
That gory mid-air emergency has provided another piece of ammunition for the numerous critics who have condemned Friday’s contest as a macabre circus act that poses an unacceptable level of risk for Tyson, who last graced a professional ring in 2005, when he was beaten via a technical knockout after quitting on his stool against Irish journeyman Kevin McBride.
“Twenty years ago, Mike Tyson retired from boxing, and was shot to pieces, right? I mean, completely shot,” the prominent British fight promoter Eddie Hearn said this week.
“If anyone thinks that Mike Tyson should be in a ring at this age, you either have absolutely no emotional feelings toward the man, or you’re an idiot. It shouldn’t be happening.”
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Hearn’s rival promoter Frank Warren echoed those sentiments.
“Mike Tyson is 58 years of age and he shouldn’t be fighting,” Warren said after the bout was announced. “It’s as simple as that.
“Anyone with an ounce of brains knows that it is ridiculous. You can be on a motorway stuck in a traffic jam and you get to the end of it and all it is is people who have stopped to look at a crash — and that’s what this is.”
Tyson, who US reports say is being paid around $20 million for Friday’s contest, has brushed off the concerns for his wellbeing, insisting when critics from the boxing world are motivated by jealousy.
“I’m beautiful, that’s all I can say,” he said earlier this year. “The people who said that wish they were up here. No-one else can do this.”
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