February 04, (THEWILL) – JNewcastle made a €100 million (NGN47.6 billion) bid for Super Eagles attacker Victor Osimhen, but Napoli turned it down.
According to CalcioNapoli24’s Paolo Bargiggia, Napoli received a bid of around 100 million euros for Osimhen and €40 million for Fabian Ruiz, but the Neapolitans were not interested in selling two of their most cherished assets.
Both Osimhen and Ruiz, according to the journalist, were also personally not interested in joining Newcastle, whose Premier League status is in question.
Newcastle may boast of being amongst the world’s wealthiest clubs after being purchased by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), yet they are currently in relegation trouble, which they have sought to buy their way out of in the January transfer window.
The Magpies made five signings in the window, including Brazil international Bruno Guimares. They also brought in Burnley’s Chris Wood, but it did not stop them from making an offer for Osimhen, one of the best finishers in Serie A.
THEWILL recalls that Osimhen joined Napoli from Lille in 2020 for a club and African record amount of about €70 million, with three years remaining on his contract.
Despite the fact that he has yet to fully justify the money spent on him, especially due to a raft of injuries that have affected his form, he remains one of Napoli’s best players and is expected to take over as the club’s key man once Lorenzo Insigne departs in the summer to the US.
Newcastle are not, however, the only English Premier League club interested in the Nigerian, according to reports tracked during the transfer season. Arsenal and Liverpool are said to be keeping a keen eye on him in Naples.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
