Man United, Chelsea 'suffer' Victor Osimhen transfer blow as Al-Hilal step up pursuit

Al-Hilal have reportedly submitted an official bid to sign Napoli’s Victor Osimhen amid links with Manchester United and Chelsea.

Osimhen was sent on loan to Galatasaray last summer after experiencing a breakdown in his relationship with his parent club, Napoli.

The striker enjoyed a successful loan stint in Turkey, netting 37 goals in 41 competitive appearances to help Galatasaray win a league and cup double.

With his loan spell now over, the Nigeria international is looking for a new permanent home ahead of the 2025-26 campaign. 

Man United, Chelsea suffer Osimhen transfer blow

Man United and Chelsea have both been mentioned as potential suitors for the 26-year-old, although the latter recently bolstered their squad with the addition of Liam Delap from Ipswich Town.

However, hopes of Osimhen moving to the Premier League are slipping away amid speculation that Al-Hilal are stepping up their pursuit of the Napoli man.

According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, Al-Hilal have submitted an official bid to sign Osimhen from the Italian champions this summer.

The proposal would see the Saudi Arabia club pay €65m (£54.7m) as a fixed fee, plus a further €5m (£4.2m) in add-ons.

Napoli will now have to decide whether to accept Al-Hilal’s terms or demand a higher fee for one of the game’s most prolific forwards.

New era at Al-Hilal

Al-Hilal are working to bolster their squad after appointing Simone Inzaghi as their new head coach following his departure from Inter Milan.

In addition to Osimhen, Romano has reported that Al-Hilal are keen to sign Atalanta’s Ederson and AC Milan’s Theo Hernandez.

The Saudi Pro League side already boasts a number of notable names like Kalidou Koulibaly, Joao Cancelo, Ruben Neves and Aleksandar Mitrovic.

Al-Hilal are seemingly working to form a squad that can compete at the upcoming Club World Cup in the USA. 

They kick off the tournament with a game against Real Madrid on June 18, before they conclude the group stage with matches against RB Salzburg and Pachuca.