One of the players highly sought during the 2023 summer transfer window, Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen, has broken his silence on the breathtaking offer he received from a Saudi club.
Every club that mattered in world football was linked to Osimhen at the peak of the summer window, including the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich among others.
Crazy offer
Amid the transfer speculations, Osimhen revealed a ‘crazy’ offer was dangled before him by a Saudi club and though he eventually turned down the offer, he admits it wasn’t easy doing so.
Osimhen revealed the enticing offer he faced from Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal, who reportedly tabled a staggering €200 million bid to Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis.
Earlier reports suggested that Osimhen had even reached a verbal agreement with Al Hilal to make the switch to the Saudi Pro League.
Speaking on the ‘Obi One Podcast’ with former Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel, Osimhen admitted the difficulty of turning down such a lucrative offer, especially considering Napoli’s desire to retain him.
“I have to be honest, I never thought about leaving last summer because Napoli wanted to keep me,” Osimhen confessed. “But when the offer came from Saudi Arabia, a huge offer, it was hard to refuse. I spoke to Napoli and decided to stay.”
Osimhen further elaborated on the persistence of Al Hilal’s pursuit, stating, “It was crazy. The more I said no, the more they increased the financial offer. It would have changed my life; they never gave up. But I said, no guys, I’m staying.”
No regrets
Despite the tempting financial incentives, Osimhen has no regret in continuing his football in mainstream Europe at least for now.
“Of course, I had talks in August,” Osimhen recalled. “It was a huge decision for me to make. I spoke to Napoli, and we decided together to refuse.”
READ ALSO: Osimhen more likely than ever to leave Napoli
He clarified his reasons for staying, stating, “I didn’t want people to think I wanted to leave. It was a positive decision for my career. As much as you play football for money, there is also so much more to it.”
Money gang
Nigerian superstars like Odion Ighalo and Ahmed Musa have all received big fat cheques after making moves to Saudi clubs in times past.
More superstars across the world are already cashing out in the oil-rich kingdom with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Kareem Benzema, Sadio Mane and many others signing for various Saudi clubs.
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