Transfer Dialysis丨Why did Osmeen and Vlahovic transfers "difficult delivery"? They are both the blame for the contract!

Looking around the major European clubs, you will find the lack of center position. Real Madrid changed a left winger to the No. 9 position last season (Mbappe). Arsenal used an attacking midfielder (Kay Havertz) until he was injured, and then changed to an attacking midfielder (Merino). Paris Saint-Germain changed a winger to center (Demberle) and won the Champions League title.

Barcelona does have a center (Lewandowski), but he is 37 this summer. Liverpool also has a center (Nuñez), but he usually sits on the bench and the Reds are currently trying to "dump" him. And they usually put the winger (Diaz) in this position anyway. Bayern Munich (Harry Kane) and Chelsea (Jackson) also have a center, but both clubs lack a reliable substitute.

If the free market should solve the player shortage problem, then there must be something wrong with this "invisible hand". The same name always appears in the transfer rumor, which is a little strange - mainly RB Leipzig's Sesco and of course Sporting Lisbon's ubiquitous Giokeres - after all, there are many other options. Part of this is because of how the broker works. Some people like (and often) talk, while others don't talk unless the deal is reached. It is not difficult to see which category those who sell Sesco and Giokelez belong.

But there are two centers who are obviously able to transfer: Juventus's Vlahovic and Napoli's Osmeen, who was loaned to Galatasaray last year. Both are rare talented players, ages 25 and 26 respectively, and there are still many golden years in the future. However, both were in some unusual contract dilemma, which complicated the transfer. How Osmain fell into trouble in July 2020, Osmain left Lille and transferred to Naples, when he was only 21 years old. The transfer fee - later confirmed to be worth 70 million euros, plus a bonus of up to 10 million euros.

He scored 46 goals in his first 100 games for Nigeria, and he scored 48 goals in 71 games in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. During this time, he led Nigeria (he was already the second-scorer in Nigeria’s history) to the African Cup of Nations final and led Naples to his first championship since the Maradona era. Osmann was also named Serie A Player of the Year and African Footballer.

So how did he join Galatasaray last season? Naples plans to sell him in the summer of 2024 because his contract is only two years away and has not yet renewed. To strengthen this, they signed his replacement, Lukaku, and made it clear that since Lukaku did not renew his contract, he had to find another place.

But it didn't happen - he did have suitors, but none of them could meet Naples's valuation at the time - by the time the transfer window was closed, their operations were counterproductive. Fortunately for them (and Osmayen), Turkey's transfer window is still open, so they reached an agreement to extend his contract for one year (until 2027) to maintain his transfer value and send him to Galatasaray where he can get playing time.

Osmeen is a key figure in Galatasaray's domestic double championship, scoring 37 goals in 41 games in various competitions. This season shows that he absolutely hasn't lost his talent to score goals, but his style of playing goes far more than goals. He is fast, powerful, diligent and hardworking, and full of charm. Most Naples fans will not hesitate to let him return and replace Lukaku's place.

Frahovic, Juventus is at a crossroads

The Serbian international joined Juventus on his 22nd birthday and transferred from Fiorentina in January 2022. The transfer fee is as high as 70 million euros, plus a 10 million euro bonus, and took over the No. 7 jersey left by Ronaldo. He signed a contract with Juventus until 2026, with initial salary of €14 million per season, but in the last two years the contract will soar to €24 million.

24 million euros are not a small amount. If he is a Premier League player, his net worth will be second only to Manchester City's Haaland, becoming the second highest in the Premier League.

Why did Juventus agree to such a deal? Maybe they think signing him will be a very successful one and will eventually prove to be a good deal. Maybe they had planned to transfer him to another club in two and a half years. But the key is that the deal is inconsistent with his performance and the club's ability to bear severe losses in recent years.

Juventus tried to trade him last summer, but no one cared about it, probably because his salary scared away other clubs. And if players are owed so much in the next two seasons, they won’t be willing to accept a salary cut. However, with Vlahovic's contract still one year left, Juventus is in trouble. They either renewed his contract—it was not easy, because it meant convinced him to cut his salary significantly—or sold him and recouped the transfer fee.

Vlahovic's shortcomings are that he has been suffering from injuries and is far less than his last two seasons in Fiorentina (56 goals in 143 games), when he scored 41 goals in 64 games. This is indeed true, but the specific situation is also important. After all, he has experienced three different head coaches in three and a half years, one of whom (Thiago Mota) is obviously not optimistic about him. During his sluggish year, he still scored 15 goals in various competitions, with an average of 0.50 goals per 90 minutes, which is not bad. What excites Vlahovic is his strength. He is tall (6 feet 3 inches), strong and powerful, and extremely fierce. He can run all day, his back is full of strength, and his left foot technique is surprisingly good. Of course, he needs some training, but the potential is huge.

Will there be a turnaround next?

So how much is the transfer fee for these two players? Transfermarkt estimates that Osmeen's transfer fee is set at 70 million euros and Vlahovic's transfer fee is set at 45 million euros, but everything can be negotiated.

You might think that the club was scared away by the salaries of these two players - Osmaine's annual salary is as high as $22 million, equivalent to £300,000 per week - but there is also a human reality in it. They are football players and they want to play football.

Frahovic knows or should know that no one will pay him the same salary he has at Juventus. Osmaine also knows or should know that transferring to a big giant club can not only bring exposure and endorsement opportunities, but also bring professional satisfaction. Osmain has repeatedly refused to transfer to Saudi Arabia, most recently earlier this week, when Naples reportedly accepted a €75 million offer for Riyadh's new moon, so he must be more eager to win on the big stage than to get a salary in the desert. Of course, things may change, maybe he will receive a offer from Saudi Arabia that cannot be refused, and Galatasaray would love to lend him again, but Naples doesn't think so - but he is still holding on.

Naples and Juventus may have too high asking prices now? Maybe, but both clubs are in a hurry. Unless there is an extremely unlikely settlement, Naples doesn't want to renew Osmaine for another season, and it's hard to imagine they've played the trick of "loan + renewal" for two consecutive summers. If Juventus doesn't trade Vlahovic, they'll have the chance to lose one of their most important assets in vain, neither having the funds to fill his vacancy and pay him an outrageously high salary.

It is worth mentioning that there will be a World Cup next summer. All parties have room for maneuver, and maybe they can learn from it, don't play too fancy on the contract.