John Obi Mikel has lifted the lid on Victor Osimhen’s failed move to Chelsea.
The Blues were keen on bringing Osimhen to Stamford Bridge with a deal appearing close after they sold Romelu Lukaku to Napoli for around £30million.
However, the transfer failed to materialise with the 25-year-old going on to join Turkish giants Galatasaray on loan.
And Mikel has opened up on the deal, saying on his The Obi One Podcast: “I know what Victor wanted, I know what the club offered him, I know where we got to, we finally got to a compromise, both sides had to compromise, I was just some little things here and there, paperwork, medical, and a few issues we just couldn’t get over the line and we didn’t have much time.
“Both sides really played their part in terms of getting the deal done, and I commend Chelsea for that because I can see their ambition of where they want to take this club now and also on Victor’s side, how much he really wanted to come to the club.
“He was disappointed it didn’t happen. I spoke to him when the transfer window shut, I gave him a call, we spent 20 minutes talking, I said, ‘listen, I’m always here for you, you need to keep your head down, you need to keep working hard, keep training, I know it’s not the best situation right now but I know you’re strong’.
“You know, Victor’s a strong character, he’s a bit like Didier Drogba and Diego Costa and that’s something we’re missing at the club, strikers who have that edge, who have that bite who can intimidate defenders and Victor definitely has that.”
Arsenal were also linked with Osimhen this summer, while the former Lille striker reportedly turned down a move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli after they had a £67.3m bid accepted by Napoli.
Mikel has suggested there is no ill-feeling between the Blues and Osimhen, with a move to Stamford Bridge still possible in the coming transfer windows.
“Definitely there are no issues,” he said. “I think if we have to pick this back up again like I said, whenever it is, January or next summer, we know where we are, we know where we’ve stopped, and it’s just little details that need to be finalised and the deal will be done.
“So for me, the club is in a very happy place with Victor and Victor is in a very happy place with the club.”
Mikel added: “He wants to come to Chelsea, he wants to help the club get back to where it should be, he knows he can score a lot of goals in the Premier League and what a better place to do that than his childhood club Chelsea.”
Paul Winstanley played a leading role in attempting to bring Osimhen to west London, with Mikel confident that the Chelsea co-sporting director will ensure the club sign the “right players” to bring success back to Stamford Bridge in the years ahead.
“Paul Winstanley was really, really amazing,” Mikel said.
“I can tell you this guy, the sporting director, is somebody I’ve spoken to now and got to know really well. Hearing from him, it’s amazing, it’s refreshing to see where the club, where the owners, especially Paul, wants to take the club to, there’s so much to be happy about, there’s so much excitement, they’ve got a vision and it’s a very great vision.
“They don’t want to just bring in any player to the football club, it’s about bringing the right players, the players who can improve the team and the squad and I think Paul is on top of that and from this transfer window I think we’ll start to see the right players coming to the football club and that’s something that’s really, really nice to see.”
