Chelsea have been handed a potential boost in their pursuit of Victor Osimhen after the striker rejected an offer from Saudi side Al-Ahli.
Osimhen is going to be the biggest talking point over the final few days of the window as Napoli look to offload the Nigeria international, who has a release clause of around £113m.
Napoli likely would have expected Osimhen’s future to be resolved by now but so far no suitors have been prepared to match the clause or meet the 25-year-old’s demands.
Osimhen rejects approach from Al-Ahli
Chelsea remain keen on the Nigerian but want a deal on their terms and at this point are only interested in a loan, which doesn’t appeal to the player or Napoli.
Paris Saint Germain expressed interest earlier in the summer and it’s unclear if they will make a late return for Osimhen, whilst the Saudi Pro League have also been monitoring the situation.
However, on Sunday evening there was moment and it was reported that Saudi side Al-Ahli had offered a package in excess of €65m to Napoli, but an agreement with the player wasn’t close.
Fabrizio Romano reported that Osimhen wants an “important” salary and a release clause included, but Di Marzio have now reported that he’s turned down the offer from the Saudi side.
The report adds that it remains to be seen if Al-Ahli will go back in with an offer which matches the striker’s demands.
From a Chelsea perspective it shows that Napoli would perhaps accept a fee in the region of €65m, but if the Blues are going to present an offer they need to do it soon with the clock ticking
It’s believed Osimhen would rather remain in Europe but in order for that to happen it appears he’s going to need to change his stance and make a compromise in regard to his salary, but it seems unlikely the Blues want to commit to a permanent deal this summer.
