The Victor Osimhen transfer saga has taken a fresh twist, with Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal reportedly tabling an offer for the Napoli striker.

Manchester United are among the clubs rumoured to be interested in the 26-year-old, who is widely expected to leave the Serie A outfit on a permanent basis this summer.

Osimhen spent the 2024/25 season on loan in Turkey with Galatasaray, where he scored 26 goals and registered five assists across 30 Super Lig appearances, helping them clinch the league title with two games to spare.

He has long been linked with a move to the Premier League, and this summer is no different, with Old Trafford touted as a potential destination for the Nigeria international. However, it now appears that Saudi Arabian giants Al Hilal are moving to steal a march on European clubs.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Sky Sports Deutschland and Turkish transfer expert Yagiz Sabuncuoglu, Osimhen would rather accept a slightly lower salary and stay at Galatasaray if it means playing in the Champions League next season.

This is a problem because while they might be able to offer €21m in wages, the transfer fee is still well below that €75m mark.

Both had been hoping that Premier League clubs would step in, but just like last summer, they have been curiously shy about coming forward with big offers.

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It has previously been reported that Osimhen’s release clause stands at around €75 million, but Napoli’s eagerness to part ways with the striker could weaken their negotiating position, especially after they allowed him to leave on loan last season when no clubs were willing to meet the asking price.

Romano adds that Al Hilal are also in contact with the player’s camp over personal terms, though it remains unclear whether they can reach an agreement with Osimhen or Napoli. The Saudi side will be participating in this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup, giving them extra incentive to wrap up the deal quickly.

As for United, Matheus Cunha has already arrived from Wolves, while Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo has emerged as another key target. With ongoing uncertainty surrounding the future of Rasmus Hojlund, another striker addition could be on the cards, hence the reported interest in Osimhen and Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres.

Ademola Lookman, Super Eagles winger, was hosted by President Bola Tinubu at his residence in Lagos on Friday.

The 27-year-old footballer visited the president with his 2024 CAF footballer of the year award.

Last December, Lookman was named the continent’s best player — following the footsteps of Victor Osimhen, who won the prize in 2023.

The winger won the award after an impressive 2023/24 season for both club and country. He scored 17 goals and provided 11 assists in all competitions that season for Atalanta. He also scored a hattrick in the Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen, winning Atalanta’s first-ever European title.

Lookman was one of Nigeria’s best players at the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire. He scored three goals as the Eagles won silver at the tournament. He was also named in the competition’s best XI alongside captain Willian Troost-Ekong.

His latest visit to Nigeria comes after the conclusion of the 2024/25 season, where he helped Atalanta finish third in the Serie A. He scored 20 goals across all competitions for the club.

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Events scheduled for Wednesday at the 22nd National Sports Festival gradually commenced, nearly four hours behind schedule, following the reopening of the games village at Babcock University by protesting Ogun State athletes, as reported by PUNCH Online.

The athletes had earlier blocked the gates of the games village, leaving several participants stranded in protest over unpaid allowances. They began their demonstration as early as 5:30 am and reopened the gates at 12:43 pm.

According to PUNCH Online, the athletes received payments of N40,000, as promised by Governor Dapo Abiodun, along with an additional N140,000 as their festival allowance.

However, the athletes insisted that the agreed allowance was N210,000, calculated at N15,000 per day over a 14-day period.

“We were paid N50,000 this morning, which was the governor’s promise, but to our surprise, they started paying N140,000 as the festival allowance instead of the agreed N210,000,” one of the athletes lamented.

Meanwhile, prior to the start of the sports festival, Governor Abiodun pledged cash rewards of N2.5 million for every gold medallist from the state, N1.5 million for silver, and N1 million for bronze medallists.

Ogun State currently holds third place on the medals table with 48 gold, 38 silver, and 47 bronze medals.

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Recent developments have emerged regarding the transfer speculations surrounding Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen.

The Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr has entered the competition to acquire the Napoli striker, potentially targeting him as a successor to Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo this summer.

ThePapers.ng reports that Osimhen is on the brink of a significant career move that could position him as the second-highest-paid footballer in the world with a proposed €45m yearly salary from Al Hilal.

Fresh prophecy reveals what will happen to Wike after Tinubu’s tenure

But a fresh update has emerged as Ronaldo already stated he is leaving Al Nassr.

“This chapter is over. The story? Still being written. Grateful to all,” he posted late Monday night.

This statement comes as Ronaldo’s contract with Saudi club Al-Nassr approaches its end this summer.

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The timing of his message has fueled rumors about a potential departure from the club.

Cristiano Ronaldo netted his 25th goal of the season, bringing his tally to 99 goals for Al Nassr, but his efforts were insufficient to secure victory.

A source from Italy Told Thepapers.ng that Napoli could receive a huge transfer offer to fend off Ah Hilal’s initial bid as Al Nassr has seen Osimhen as the right replacement for the former Real Madrid star.

“Napoli wants money, and I can tell you now that representatives of Al Nassr are already in talks with Napoli to buy Osimhen with more money in offers. They are ready to pay more transfer fee and offer Victory a close salary range of Ronaldo,” the source said.

After an impressive tenure in Turkey, where he scored a record-breaking 36 goals, Osimhen is set to transition to a new club for the upcoming season. It has been made clear that he will not extend his loan at Galatasaray and will be departing from Napoli permanently this summer.

Last summer, Osimhen came close to transferring to another Saudi Arabian side, Al Ahli. However, negotiations fell through at the last moment when Napoli raised their asking price, creating an obstacle that prevented the deal from materializing.

Fresh prophecy reveals what will happen to Wike after Tinubu’s tenure

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ThePapers.ng can authoritatively report that Napoli’s star striker, Victor Osimhen, is on the brink of a significant career move that could position him as the second-highest-paid footballer in the world.

This potential transition is fueled by a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal, which plans to significantly exceed the salary proposal currently being offered by Galatasaray, where Osimhen has been on loan this past season.

After an impressive tenure in Turkey, where he scored a record-breaking 36 goals, Osimhen is set to transition to a new club for the upcoming season. It has been made clear that he will not extend his loan at Galatasaray and will be departing from Napoli permanently this summer.

Last summer, Osimhen came close to transferring to another Saudi Arabian side, Al Ahli. However, negotiations fell through at the last moment when Napoli raised their asking price, creating an obstacle that prevented the deal from materializing.

According to insider information from within Osimhen’s camp, the striker feels assured and secure in his value as a player, especially given the significant offers being presented to him. He recognizes that he has nothing more to prove on the pitch, making this forthcoming move an exciting opportunity in his career.

“Victor is going to Saudi Arabia, he has nothing to prove again, European football can wait, but I can tell you that in a  few days, the deal will be done,” one of his confidants told Thepapers.ng.

By ‘Dare Odufowokan

Finally as I write this piece, more than 10,000 athletes and officials from all over Nigeria, our great country, who are competing for laurels in the 22nd National Sports Festival tagged Gateway Games, are converging in Abeokuta , the Ogun State capital in anticipation of a memorable festival as assured by the Chief host himself, Governor Dapo Abiodun.

While many of those who have arrived are enthusiastically admitting that the city is really agog and wearing many new looks already, the official opening ceremony of Gateway games 2024 has been slated for  Sunday, May 18, 2025.

The state government under the leadership of Governor Abiodun while receiving the Touch of Unity on Thursday, assured that all necessary logistics have been put in place for the reception of the contingents from participating states. And the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the competition, attests to this assurance.
Of course, hundreds of domestic and foreign journalists, sports enthusiasts, and other related professionals, are expected in the state to be part of the much awaited 22nd National Sports Festival.

The Dapo Abiodun-led administration has gone many extra miles to ensure that the memories of the competition would linger in the minds of the participants as well as the good people of the state.

For the records, this would be the second national sports festival to be hosted by Ogun State, the first being in 2006. And all hands, including those of the governor, his entire cabinet and all his aides, have been on deck to deliver the best organised sports competition ever in the country. Believe me, Governor Abiodun is walking this talk with seriousness and precision.

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Governor Abiodun had on several occasions noted that the National Sports Festival brings together the energy, and creativity of youths in the country and also serves as a platform for them to showcase their diverse talents and potential. He added that hosting the festival is a testament to the commitment of his administration to empower the next generation by offering them the opportunity for growth and self-development.

It is also worthy to add that youths from Ogun State have earned domestic and international acclaim for  themselves and the nation through sports events like athletics, boxing, chess, football, to mention a few.

The contributions of the legendary Segun Odegbami, sprinter Falilat Ogunkoya, maverick Anthony Joshua, youthful Tobi Amusan, Tunde Onakoya the Chess champion, among others, toward lifting Nigeria’s image in the international fora through sports, serve as a tonic for the organisers of this festival.

So, the good people of Ogun State happily welcome all participants to this wonderful sporting convergence. While the main hub for competitions is the newly rehabilitated and immensely upgraded M.K.O Abiola International Stadium, which has now been turned into a world class Sporting Complex by the Dapo Abiodun administration, some events will take place at the Alake Sport Complex and other venues.

The Babcock University at Ilishan Remo is the Games Village where all the athletes will be accommodated together in love and unity. A robust transport arrangement is in place to ensure itch free movement of people to and fro the games village all through the festival. Arrangements are also in place to cater for the socioeconomic conveniences of participants.

Importantly, Governor Abiodun and all other organizers and stakeholders have been advocating for the true spirit of sportsmanship to be displayed all through the festival even as we all look forward to celebrating winners and losers alike for the true essence of the entire festival and the many competitions is actually in the participation.

For the governor, there is more joy in hosting Nigerian youths to a sports festival than winning as he strongly believes that the role sports activities play in the well-being of the youths cannot be overemphasized. “For us in Ogun State, this festival isn’t just about the competition and performances, even though we would love to host and win every medal,” the governor had declared.

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“We want to host a National Sports Festival that will showcase the talent, our culture and potential of our great state as well as a very unique sense of hospitality of our people,” he added while  enjoining the people of the state to be part of the activities so as to display their usual hospitality to the visitors.

There’s no doubt that since over 16,000 people, including over 12,000 athletes and 4,000 officials, domestic and foreign journalists, would throng the Rivers  State capital for the two-week event, the hospitality  industry would surely face some challenges in terms of catering to their needs.

We are however, confident, that plans have been firmed by players in the hospitality industry to make the athletes’ stay one of the most eventful in their careers.

Indeed, we do not want to lose cognizance of the fact that a major aspect of the success story of this festival would depend on adequate security arrangement put in place by the stakeholders for the protection of all and sundry. While we  underline the return of peace and tranquility to the Garden City, The Tide insists that the security agencies put all it takes in place to ensure there are no untoward events during the competition.

This event, we are convinced, should be an opportunity for the security agencies to advertise their prowess in security matters in view of recent happenings across the country, including the recent killing of policemen in the state by some gunmen.

No doubt, given the level of preparedness and the satisfactory looks on the faces of the contingents that are already in town, as Governor Abiodun and the good people of Ogun State welcome the athletes, officials and other visitors to the festival, they are proud, indeed, to say, let the games begin, and let the best win.

Odufowokan is the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to Governor Abiodun on Public Communications

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