Victor Osimhen has confirmed that Al-Hilal was willing to pay a huge sum for him last summer. The Nigerian top scorer remained loyal to Napoli, but he does find the idea of playing in the Premier League someday appealing.
Last season, Osimhen, with 26 league goals, played a significant role in Napoli's first league title since 1990. The Serie A top scorer was then linked to various clubs, but president Aurelio De Laurentiis was determined not to let the 24-year-old striker go. Even a staggering offer from Al-Hilal couldn't persuade the eccentric president.
In the podcast of former Chelsea player Mikel John Obi, Osimhen now reflects on that transfer summer. 'What was written is true. To be honest, leaving wasn’t an option last summer because Napoli wanted to keep me. But when that huge offer from Saudi Arabia came, it was hard to refuse. After a conversation with Napoli, I decided to stay.'
The substantial offer from Saudi Arabia did make Osimhen think. 'It was crazy. The more I said no, the higher their offer went. It would have changed my life. They didn’t give up, but I told them I wanted to stay at Napoli. For my career, that was the best decision. Of course, you play football for money, but there's so much more that's important.'
Premier League
So, Osimhen will be playing for Napoli again this season. Responding to Mikel's suggestion that Chelsea hasn't had such a good striker since Didier Drogba left, the Nigerian said, 'I don’t have favorite Premier League clubs, but I have shirts from two clubs: Chelsea and Manchester United. The Premier League is the most popular competition in Africa; it's a great league.'
