The transfer drama surrounding Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen has taken a new twist, with Napoli rejecting a third bid from Turkish giants Galatasaray, while the player’s camp accuses the Italian champions of attempting to force a move to Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal.

Nigerian journalist Buchi Laba, who has closely tracked the situation, provided the latest update in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

🚨 Breaking Exclusive: Napoli officially turns down Galatasaray €75m 3rd offer for Victor Osimhen. The official Release clause Figure.

– They’re frustrating the deal intentionally and wants to push him to Saudi Arabia (Al Hilal).
– Victor Osimhen has made it very clear that… pic.twitter.com/PbOOPIIQDc

— Buchi Laba (@Buchi_Laba) July 9, 2025

According to Laba, Napoli turned down Galatasaray’s third attempt to activate Osimhen’s €75 million release clause, due to the Turkish club’s proposed payment terms.

Galatasaray are reportedly offering to pay the release clause in installments over several years — a structure Napoli are unwilling to accept.

Instead, the Serie A side are pushing for a lump sum payment that would better suit their immediate financial needs.

Top transfer insiders Gianluca Di Marzio and Nicolo Schira also confirmed Napoli are requesting bank guarantees from Galatasaray to approve the deal.

Laba suggested that Napoli’s reluctance stems from their preference for Al Hilal’s bid, which offers the full €75 million upfront.

“They’re frustrating the deal intentionally and want to push him to Saudi Arabia (Al Hilal),” Laba alleged.

Despite the financial appeal of the Saudi offer, Osimhen is said to be firmly against it.

“Victor Osimhen has made it very clear that going to Al Hilal is not possible. He only wants Galatasaray,” Laba added.

The standoff shows no sign of easing, as Laba further reported that Osimhen has no intention of returning to Napoli, despite being under contract until June 2026.

“He also made it very clear to Napoli that he won’t report for pre-season and doesn’t want to play for Napoli anymore,” Laba wrote.

The situation is further complicated by the fact that Osimhen’s €75 million release clause is set to expire on Tuesday, July 15.

If no deal is finalized before then, Napoli will be free to set a new price tag for the forward, potentially prolonging the transfer saga even further.

Vanguard News