Which team will Victor Osimhen sign for – Chelsea or Al-Ahli?

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Reigning African Footballer of The Year Victor Osimhen has been heavily linked to both Chelsea and Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli.

The Nigerian striker had informed his club Napoli he wants to leave and has since attracted interests from abroad.

Right now, Al-Ahli and Chelsea are the two main clubs showing strong interest in the 25-year-old as they have been in talks with his camp.

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Paris Saint-Germain were rumoured to be interested in the striker’s services (especially after Gonçalo Ramos’ injury) but have since not launched any official bid and are clearly not in the race to sign Osimhen.

Victor Osimhen prefers a Chelsea move and has not hidden that but the main issue remains the wage structure. Al-Ahli have offered Osimhen a mouthwatering deal that will see the Nigerian earn around €625,000 (1.1 billion naira) per week. Chelsea, on the other hand, are offering far lesser than that – in fact, less than £200,000 per week.

The English transfer window closes on Friday, 30 August at 23:00. The Italian Serie A’s window also ends same day. This means Chelsea have less than 48 hours to pull off the Osimhen deal.

Meanwhile, The Saudi Pro League’s transfer window opened on 17 July, 2024, and will close on 6 October, 2024. This gives Saudi clubs over a month to sign players after the Premier League’s deadline.

However, this extended window could complicate efforts to sign big-name players. European clubs, with closed transfer windows, are unlikely to sell their star players without securing replacements.

What is the current transfer situation of Victor Osimhen?

Saudi sources reveal that Victor Osimhen demands at least €30 million per season to consider joining Al-Ahli. With bonuses included, the salary package could exceed this amount, pushing it closer to €100 million.

According to Sports broadcaster Ben Jacobs, Osimhen also insists on a release clause, which would likely include a sell-on fee benefiting Napoli. This could bring the deal’s overall value closer to Napoli’s initial €100 million-plus estimation.

Historically, Al-Ahli has given players just 48 hours to make a decision, even with more time left in transfer windows. However, Osimhen has been granted additional time to negotiate his terms.

Chelsea cannot match the lucrative Saudi offer but is still keen on signing Osimhen. Negotiations with Napoli are expected to be easier than those with Osimhen himself.

While Osimhen keeps his options open, Chelsea is prepared to explore other targets. If the Nigerian striker does not agree to fit within their wage structure, Chelsea will move on.

On Tuesday, Brentford striker Ivan Toney emerged as a surprise target for Chelsea. The West London club see Toney as a strong candidate to join the club if Osimhen turns down their offer.

Tags: Victor Osimhen, Super Eagles, Al-Ahli, #NewsRoundTheClock, #nrtcnews, #nrtcnigeria, #nrtcnewsnigeria, #nrtcsports, Napoli, Chelsea, #COYB, #ForzaNapoliSempre, #KTBFFH.