By Dayo Awoniyi
Nigeria star Victor Osimhen is at the center of a growing transfer tug-of-war, with Saudi Arabian powerhouses Al Hilal and Al Ain reportedly ready to activate his €75 million release clause this summer.
According to Italian outlet La Repubblica, both clubs—participants in the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup—are preparing to meet the Napoli striker’s release clause in June, potentially beating several European giants to his signature.
Osimhen’s current deal with Napoli includes a €75 million clause that is only valid for clubs outside Italy, ruling out Serie A sides from triggering it directly.
This has attracted strong interest from abroad, with Premier League sides Chelsea and Manchester United closely monitoring developments.
Manchester United are said to be in active talks with Osimhen’s representatives, while Juventus are also keen on acquiring the 25-year-old forward.
However, any domestic move within Italy would require separate negotiations with Napoli, likely pushing the transfer fee well beyond the set clause.
Osimhen, who has been one of Serie A’s most prolific forwards over the past two seasons, now faces a career-defining decision: accept a lucrative offer from the Gulf region or hold out for a return to European club competition at the highest level.
The coming weeks are expected to be decisive as interest intensifies ahead of the Club World Cup and the start of the summer transfer window.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
