Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis has indicated unequivocally that the club will not entertain any proposals for Super Eagles attacker Victor Osimhen, particularly from Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal, regardless of the sum provided by bidders.
Osimhen was instrumental in guiding the Partenopei to their first Scudetto in 33 years in the 2022/23 season, scoring 26 goals in 32 games and winning the Serie A golden boot.
As a result of his exploits, the Nigerian attacker has attracted a lot of suitors and has been linked with moves to Manchester United, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, and Real Madrid this summer.
According to the latest reports, Al-Hilal, a Saudi Arabian club, has made two bids for the 24-year-old forward.
The club president told Sky Italia, “Osimhen is staying, he has another two years of contract, where else does he go?
“We have contracts, and they must always be respected by both parties because it’s a two-way relationship.
“As long as there is transparency, then yes, he always gets on well and with Osimhen there is transparency in every instance. Stay calm.”
Napoli had been willing to sell Osimhen earlier this summer, but only for bids above €180 million, however, with the transfer window only a few weeks from closing and Serie A resuming in a matter of days, the Partenopei will be considering getting a suitable replacement for Osimhen impossible within that timeframe.
Ideally, this should end the Saudi side’s interest in Osimhen, putting paid to the Nigerian’s dreams of earning up to £1 million per week, at least for now.
Instead, Osimhen is expected to sign a new contract with Napoli that will see him stay at the club until at least the 2027 season.
