Victor Osimhen has said no to a £1million-a-week contract.
Al Hilal made an offer worth €140m to Napoli for the Super Eagles striker and the wages was believed to be in the region of £1m per week.
Osimhen said no.
Instead, the reigning Serie A top scorer is in talks to extend his contract with the champions.
The 24-year-old is expected to sign a new two-year deal until 2027 with Napoli and a €150m release clause will be inserted into it.
Osimhen’s decision to snub a big-move move to the Middle East sparked intense debate on social media, especially among Nigerian football fans.
One side felt the player should have signed maybe a three-year deal with Al Hilal and return to Europe still in the prime of his career.
The other side argued that Osimhen just gatecrashed the big time and cannot pack up and leave for Saudi Arabia when his stock is just rising.
“I have two perspectives – the sentimental and the ambitious perspective,” Yubby Ndunofit, the co-producer and host of The Hindsight Podcast.
“I personally believe African players cannot even for a second start to behave or think like European players.
“Osimhen comes from Africa and as a result the shinny European Champions League (which is effectively his only reason to remain in Europe) shouldn’t be as much of a factor in his decision making.
“The opportunity to become probably Africa’s highest paid athlete of all time ought to have been a straight decision.
“With less than £150,000 per week at Liverpool have you seen what Mane has been doing in his community in Senegal?
“Granted, Osimehn has made more money than he will ever need. But when you get to a certain stage, you start thinking about community.”
