Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal are thought to be the front-runners for Victor Osimhen‘s signature should the striker decide to leave Napoli in the wake a controversial social media post that appeared to mock the player, according to reports in Italy.
The Serie A side courted controversy when they posted two videos to their TikTok account that appeared to make fun of the 24-year-old, with one showing Osimhen missing a penalty, and the second – which has been circulated online and since deleted – compared the player to a ‘coconut’, widely viewed as a racial slur.
Osimhen’s agent Roberto Calenda threatened the club with legal action as the videos gained traction on social media, but amidst the storm of controversy, Osimhen started for the Scudetto winners against Udinese on Wednesday evening and scored in the 4-1 win.
But, as Mail Sport reported on Thursday, the striker is thought to have been already unhappy at the club before the social media firestorm, and could look to move on from Stadio Diego Armando Maradona just six months after playing an instrumental role in ending the club’s 33-year title drought.
Should he wish to transfer away from Napoli, the strongest interest could come from one of Saudi Arabia’s biggest clubs.
Victor Osimhen’s former suitors, Al-Hilal, could be the front-runners to sign the player in January should the 24-year-old decide his relationship with Napoli is irreparable
Napoli posted videos on their TikTok which appeared to mock Osimhen for appealing for a penalty in Sunday’s goalless draw against Bologna and his subsequent miss from the spot
A second video, allegedly from the club’s account, compared Osimhen to a ‘coconut’
As per Gazzetta dello Sport, Al-Hilal promised Osimhen an astronomical five-deal that would see the player make up to £38million-per-year over the summer, and were set to pay his steep release clause at an estimated £173m.
Napoli’s owner Aurelio De Laurentiis was adamant however that the player who had been crucial to the club’s success last season would remain in Campania.
He is thought to have told the Gulf state club that they couldn’t even ‘buy a foot’ with the deal offered.
The Saudi Pro League side opted instead to buy a raft of international attacking talent – including Neymar Jnr, Ruben Neves, and Aleksandar Mitrovic before the window closed in September.
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