In the UK, footballers earning over £125,000 annually are taxed at a staggering 45%, not including additional deductions like National Insurance.
Victor Osimhen has long dreamed of Premier League glory. As a young boy growing up in Olusosun, Lagos, he often wore his beloved blue Chelsea jersey, envisioning himself following in the footsteps of his hero, Didier Drogba, and lighting up Stamford Bridge.
But while the dream is alive, the reality is far more complex—and it has less to do with football and more to do with the UK government’s tax system. …CONTINUE READING
Last summer, Chelsea made a serious move for the Nigerian superstar. The two-time Champions League winners were eager to bring him to West London, reportedly offering €4 million per year in wages, with the promise to double it if they secured Champions League qualification for the 2025/26 season.
But the deal didn’t go through—not because of transfer fee issues, but because of wages. Instead, Osimhen made a surprise loan move to Galatasaray in Turkey for the 2024/25 season. And what a season he had—36 goals, 7 assists, a league title, the Turkish Cup, and the Super Cup all added to his name. Yet, even with that success, Premier League clubs remain hesitant.
The problem? Taxes.
In the UK, footballers earning over £125,000 annually are taxed at a staggering 45%, not including additional deductions like National Insurance. For Osimhen to earn the same net salary he receives at Napoli—around £9.4 million annually—an English club would need to offer him roughly £17–18 million gross per year.
That figure is significantly higher than Chelsea’s current top earner, Reece James, who earns £250,000 per week (around £13 million annually before tax). Signing Osimhen would mean not just breaking Chelsea’s wage structure—it would mean completely overhauling it. That was reportedly the main stumbling block in the previous negotiations.
Manchester United face similar challenges. With financial fair play and wage trimming underway, the Red Devils are looking at more affordable, younger prospects like Ipswich’s Liam Delap rather than splashing out on high-cost superstars.
Meanwhile, in Italy, where Osimhen’s parent club Napoli is based, tax laws are more favorable for foreign players, offering exemptions and flat rates that don’t exist in the UK. What’s considered a normal wage in Serie A becomes a near-impossible demand in the Premier League under HMRC regulations.
So while Osimhen’s heart may still beat for the English top flight, his dream of wearing a Chelsea or Manchester United shirt may never become reality—unless one of these clubs is ready to tear up their entire wage structure and gamble big.
Until then, the boy who idolised Drogba may need to find his kingdom elsewhere.
Source: goal
