Aurelio De Laurentiis, the president of Napoli, has firmly informed Saudi club Al-Hilal that he would only entertain an astonishing €500 million offer for Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen.
De Laurentiis stood out among European clubs this summer by turning down a lucrative Saudi proposal. He responded to Al-Hilal’s offer for Osimhen with a rather scornful tone.
During the summer transfer window, numerous European clubs accepted generous offers from Saudi Arabian clubs, capitalizing on the sale of their stars like Gabri Veiga and Riyadh Mahrez, and offloading unwanted players such as Edouard Mendy and Franck Kessie.
While some top footballers, like Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, rejected Saudi offers, Victor Osimhen emerged as a coveted transfer target for several Saudi Pro League clubs. Al-Hilal made a €200 million bid, which Napoli promptly declined, ensuring Osimhen remained in Campania.
Read Also: Tinubu expected to speak at African Climate Summit
Al-Hilal’s offer of €40 million per year in wages gave Osimhen pause about moving to Saudi Arabia, and reports in Italy suggested that his family supported the idea.
According to information from L’Equipe via TMW, De Laurentiis never wavered in his decision to reject Al-Hilal’s enticing offer for Osimhen, a stance he made abundantly clear in his response.
In an email to Al-Hilal representatives, the Napoli president offered a sarcastic reply, stating, “Your €200 million offer could perhaps buy a single foot of Osimhen. Maybe next year, if you can offer €500 million, we might consider it, but let me reiterate: maybe.”
Osimhen, the Nigerian international, was arguably one of Europe’s premier center-forwards last season, scoring an impressive 31 goals in 39 matches for Luciano Spalletti’s side.
Under the guidance of Napoli’s newly appointed manager, Rudi Garcia, Osimhen has already netted three goals in as many games with the Serie A champions.
