Saudi Arabian giant Al Hilal have prepare a jaw-dropping new salary offer worth €50m per year for Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen.
The Middle Eastern giants are unwilling to give up on their ambitious bid to bring the Napoli star to the Saudi Pro League, despite the 26-year-old rejecting their previous proposal just 11 days before.
According to Goal, Al Hilal will make one final push to entice Osimhen away from Napoli with an extravagant wage offer that could see the forward earn up to €50 million (£42.6 million) per year in Saudi Arabia.
Fabrizio Romano, an Italian transfer specialist, 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 insists… race open as Galatasaray and Premier League clubs are still there, while Juventus called again.”
Osimhen is said to have rejected a contract offer of €30 million (£25.5 million) a season from Al Hilal, who were hoping to sign him before the first summer window closed on June 10 in order to have him in their squad for the start of the Club World Cup.
While that effort failed, the Middle Eastern powerhouses remain interested in a mega-deal and have already alerted Napoli of their willingness to pay his €75 million (£63.9 million) release clause.
The Saudi heavyweights’ refusal to stop their pursuit comes as Manchester United’s pursuit of the Nigerian striker appears to have taken a new twist.
After being turned down by Swedish striker Viktor Gyökeres, United have renewed talks to sign Osimhen during the current summer transfer window.
Osimhen is set to return to Naples after a good loan spell with Galatasaray, but an exit seems likely after being left out of Antonio Conte’s squad last year.
The Nigeria international appears to believe that he still has much to contribute in Europe, which is why he first turned down the lucrative move to the Middle East.
However, Al Hilal appeared to be at the head of the queue to sign the former Lille player, and their perseverance implies that they feel the life-changing figure on offer will pull the striker away from European competition.
The Red Devils are reportedly willing to pay the Napoli striker €12 million (£10.2 million) each year and a total of €75 million (£63.8 million) to the Serie A champions, including bonuses.
Galatasaray, the Turkish champions, are apparently enthusiastic about making one of their most daring transactions in history, as they seek to permanently sign the Nigerian striker. According to Sky Sports writer Florian Plettenberg, the Istanbul giants are still hopeful amid increased interest from many prominent 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 has made an extremely competitive contract offer to Osimhen, earning between €15 million and €20 million per year in net salaries.
The main stumbling block in the negotiations, however, is the payment arrangement of Osimhen’s €75 million release clause, with Napoli wanting the fewest instalments feasible.