Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Al-Hilal have made an ‘official’ bid for Victor Osimhen after closing in on personal terms for the Napoli striker.
Osimhen’s long-term future could finally be resolved after years of speculation, having been a major target for the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea in recent windows.
However, Osimhen’s wage demands have always proved excessive for Premier League clubs, which has ultimately given Saudi Pro League sides a clear run at signing the Nigerian.
And Romano has now confirmed that Al-Hilal have submitted an offer worth €65 million to Napoli, with an additional €5m in add-ons – just under Osimhen’s €75m release clause.
Having seen Man Utd captain Bruno Fernandes reject them in recent days, Al-Hilal are desperate to make a major signing before the Club World Cup later this month and they have held talks with Osimhen this week over personal terms.
The Saudi Arabian side are understood to be expecting an answer from Osimhen by the end of this week and are optimistic he will agree to a contract worth €30m-per-year, while negotiations with Napoli are not likely to be difficult either.
How Osimhen went from Premier League favourite to Saudi riches
Osimhen was a strong target for Premier League clubs last summer but the 26-year-old’s wage demands ultimately proved to be a non-starter, leading to him joining Galatasaray for the season in a late loan move.
Having had a fruitful season in Turkey, the English-based interest in Osimhen had been revived in recent months but teams have seemingly opted for more affordable options after learning the forward’s salary demands.
Chelsea completed a deal to sign Liam Delap this week, while they are still believed to be in talks with Frankfurt over a €100m transfer for Liam Delap, leading to Blues and Nigeria icon John Obi Mikel admitting Osimhen was unlikely to move to Stamford Bridge despite his wishes.
United’s failure to secure Champions League football all but ended their interest, with Arsenal also eyeing other options such as Benjamin Sesko, leaving Osimhen in pole position to move to Saudi Arabia this summer.
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