Al Hilal are showing no signs of retreat or surrender in their pursuit of Victor Osimhen, as the Saudi Arabian giants prepare a jaw-dropping new salary offer worth €50m per year for the Nigerian striker, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The Middle Eastern powerhouses are refusing to give up on their ambitious bid to lure the Napoli star to the Saudi Pro League, despite the 26-year-old rejecting their previous approach just 11 days ago.
According to Goal, Al Hilal will make one final effort to prise Osimhen away from Napoli with an astronomical salary offer, which could see the forward pocket up to €50m (£42.6m) per year in Saudi Arabia.
Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano wrote on Monday, “Al Hilal are not giving up on Victor Osimhen as they want to submit new proposal to the player.
“Osimhen rejected 10 days ago but Al Hilal insist… race open as Galatasaray and Premier League clubs are still there, while Juventus called again.”
Osimhen is understood to have turned down a contract proposal worth a reported €30m (£25.5m) per season with Al Hilal, who were hoping to strike a deal before the first summer window closed on June 10 in order to have him in their ranks for the start of the Club World Cup.
While that mission ended in failure, the Middle Eastern powerhouses remain interested in a blockbuster deal and have already informed Napoli of their intentions to pay his €75m (£63.9m) release clause.
The Saudi giants’ refusal to abandon their pursuit comes as Manchester United’s chase for the Nigerian striker has apparently taken a fresh twist. United have reopened talks to sign Osimhen in the current summer window after being rejected by Swedish striker Viktor Gyökeres.
Osimhen is due to return to Naples following a successful loan spell with Galatasaray, but an exit appears inevitable after he was frozen out of Antonio Conte’s squad last year. The Nigeria international seemingly feels that he still has plenty to offer in Europe, which initially led to his rejection of the lucrative move to the Middle East.
However, Al Hilal appeared to be at the head of the queue to sign the former Lille man, and their persistence suggests they believe the life-changing sum on offer could yet tempt the striker away from European football.
The Red Devils would supposedly be willing to pay the Napoli striker €12m (£10.2m) per year, and they are also prepared to fork out a sum of €75m (£63.8m) to the Serie A champions, including bonuses. However, United still have a few hurdles to clear in the race for Osimhen.
Turkish champions Galatasaray are reportedly optimistic about completing one of the boldest transfers in their history, as they push to permanently sign the Nigerian striker. According to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg, the Istanbul giants remain hopeful despite renewed interest from several top Premier League clubs, including Liverpool and Manchester United.
“Galatasaray remain optimistic about securing the permanent signing of Victor Osimhen, despite top English clubs having re-entered the race over the past three to four days,” Plettenberg posted on X.
Galatasaray have tabled a highly competitive contract offer to Osimhen, worth between €15m to €20m per year in net salary. The major hurdle in the negotiations, however, lies in the payment structure of Osimhen’s €75m release clause, with Napoli demanding the fewest instalments possible.
“Gala are offering a net annual salary of €15–20m. The biggest issue remains the payment structure for the €75m release clause. Napoli want as few instalments as possible,” Plettenberg added.
Osimhen is only under contract at Napoli for another year and is set to depart the Serie A champions with a record of 76 goals and 18 assists from 133 matches since joining from Lille in 2020.
The 26-year-old’s short stint with Galatasaray saw him amass a terrific 37 goals and eight assists from 41 appearances. Osimhen struck an unrivalled 26 goals in 32 Serie A games during Napoli’s 2022/23 title-winning season, but he was frozen out of Conte’s squad last summer after the relationship between him and the club’s hierarchy went south.
The Turkish giants are unlikely to sign him permanently due to the cost of the operation, despite their optimism about securing a deal.
However, Manchester United will almost certainly have to sell before they can buy in this instance, having already spent £62.5m to bring Matheus Cunha to the club from Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Should any of the Champions League-competing teams – Liverpool, Arsenal or Chelsea – make a serious play for Osimhen, Manchester United will be at an immediate disadvantage, especially as the Nigerian can also expect to be first choice at Anfield or the Emirates.
If none of those clubs enters the race, United would still need an incredibly strong sales pitch after their disastrous 2024/25 campaign, but the pull of Old Trafford remains strong regardless.(Punch)
