Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen transfer drama has taken a new turn, as Napoli rejected a third bid from Turkish giant Galatasaray. The player’s camp accuses the Italian champions of attempting to force a move to Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal.
Nigerian sports journalist Buchi Laba, who has closely monitored the situation, provided the latest update in a post on X.
According to Laba, Napoli turned down Galatasaray’s third attempt to activate Osimhen’s €75 million release clause, due to the Turkish club’s proposed payment plan.
Galatasaray are reportedly offered to pay the release clause in installments over several years, a structure Napoli are unwilling to accept.
Instead, Napoli are pushing for a lump sum payment that would better suit their immediate financial needs.
Top transfer insiders Gianluca Di Marzio and Nicolo Schira also confirmed Napoli are requesting bank guarantees from Galatasaray to approve the deal.
Laba hinted that Napoli’s reluctance may be from their preference for Al Hilal’s bid, which offers the full €75 million upfront.
“They’re frustrating the deal intentionally and want to push him to Saudi Arabia (Al Hilal),” Laba said.
Despite the financial appeal of the Saudi offer, Osimhen is said to be firmly against moving to Al Hilal.
“Victor Osimhen has made it very clear that going to Al Hilal is not possible. He only wants Galatasaray,” he added.
The standoff shows no sign of easing, as Laba reported that Osimhen has no intention of returning to Napoli, despite being under contract until June 2026.
“He also made it very clear to Napoli that he won’t report for pre-season and doesn’t want to play for Napoli anymore,” he wrote.
Osimhen’s €75 million release clause is set to expire on Tuesday, July 15. If no deal is finalized before then, Napoli will be free to set a new price tag for the striker, potentially prolonging the transfer drama.
