Victor Osimhen to Liverpool? The Deal That Almost Was – And Might Still Be
In a world of transfer rumours where smoke rarely leads to fire, the latest revelation about Victor Osimhen and Liverpool feels different – not least because it comes with names, numbers, and nearly-signed contracts. As revealed by Dave Davis on the Anfield Index podcast, Osimhen “was 24 hours from being a Liverpool player” in January.
And yet, here we are in April, with Osimhen currently on loan at Galatasaray, Darwin Núñez still in red, and a lingering feeling that something big nearly happened.
So, what went wrong? And more crucially, why might it still happen?
Loyalty Payments, Not Wages, Scuppered the Deal
One of the standout moments from the podcast is Davis’ clarity on why the deal collapsed. “The only thing that stopped it was the fact that he couldn’t sort out the loyalty payments that Napoli owed him.” It’s a rare case where the obstacle wasn’t wage demands, agents, or club refusal — but internal financial wrangling within Napoli. That makes this a classic “nearly” scenario, but one that could be revived.
Contrary to widespread assumptions, Osimhen’s wage demands weren’t the issue either. Davis is clear: “There was a lot of talk over his wages being £500,000-per-week but it wasn’t that. It was well within our wage structure.” That’s a significant revelation when evaluating Liverpool’s transfer strategy under Arne Slot, who’s known to prefer pragmatism and balance over superstar indulgence.
Darwin Núñez Was Ready to Leave
Perhaps the most eye-opening detail, though, was about Darwin Núñez. According to Davis: “Darwin Nunez missed the PSV game in the Champions League because he was finalising a deal with Saudi because Osimhen was coming in.”
That statement alone deserves pause. Al-Nassr were reportedly ready to pay £70 million for Núñez, who wasn’t missing the game due to illness, but because “he was supposed to leave.” It paints a radically different picture of Liverpool’s January strategy: a bold, aggressive move to refresh the front line in a manner few could have anticipated.
This wasn’t just a rumoured flirtation with Osimhen – it was a near-deal, so close to completion that Liverpool’s squad planning had already started to pivot.
