Victor Osimhen is in the news again this transfer window, as the player is set to leave Napoli permanently this summer. According to reports by Fabrizio Romano, Al Hilal has tabled their third offer, booked medicals, and are still waiting for Victor to agree to the deal as they hope to sign him before the Club World Cup. However, Victor has not agreed to any deal, with the player even flying in from Istanbul to Lagos to begin his holiday.
Some major news channels have suggested that Victor has accepted a deal to join Al Hilal. In fact, one journalist labeled Victor as greedy for allegedly accepting the Saudi club's offer. However, according to a source close to Victor—a Nigerian journalist who works at Wazobia and is popularly known as Buchi Laba on X—Victor has not accepted any move to Al Hilal, despite the club making a third offer.
Not only that, Al Hilal had apparently booked a medical without agreeing on personal terms with the player, in an attempt to use media pressure to force a decision. This was confirmed by journalist Ben Jacobs, who noted that although Al Hilal has scheduled medicals for Osimhen, it was simply a tactic to pressure him into accepting the deal.
However, some journalists have failed to properly state the facts and clarify the issue surrounding Victor’s situation. This leads to the big question: Is there a media assassination attempt on Victor Osimhen?
Despite interest from Galatasaray and Al Hilal, Victor also has suitors from other clubs and is expected to take his time in making a decision—especially since this is likely to be a permanent move, not a loan. Besides, the transfer window closes on August 30th, so why should Victor be in a rush?
Furthermore, Victor reportedly has a relatively low release clause, which means that he—not Napoli—holds the bargaining power. Clubs simply need to agree on personal terms with him and pay the stipulated fee. Napoli cannot just increase their demands, a tactic that left Victor without a permanent move last year.
Also, why would anyone think that a player who rejected Saudi offers two years ago would now be in a hurry to go there? Even last year, when Napoli blocked a move to Saudi Arabia, it was only being considered as a last resort. The fact that he has rejected two offers already does not make him greedy.
It's crazy how football fans twist and spin situations they don't fully understand. What if his rejection of the offer simply means he doesn’t want to go to Saudi? And even if he’s asking for more money from Saudi clubs, there’s nothing wrong with that. After all, the Gulf clubs are perfectly capable of paying more. If he is to make the huge sacrifice of leaving top European leagues to move to Saudi Arabia, the reward should be worth his while.
In fact, Al Hilal reportedly offered 30-year-old Bruno Fernandes more than what they’ve offered Victor—so why shouldn’t Victor demand better terms?
And finally, even if he decides to move to Saudi Arabia, it’s no one’s business. It’s his career, and he doesn’t owe anyone any explanation.
Simple and short.