**As Osimhen may play for Al-Hilal
By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
Barely one week to the start of the expanded FIFA Club World Cup finals in the United States of America (USA), qualified clubs are frantically making last-minute changes to their squad list to ensure a decent outing at the global football showpiece which will kick off on Saturday, June 14, 2025, Prompt News reports.
This is even as the four African representatives in the competition, namely Al Ahly of Egypt, Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa, Espérance du Tunis from Tunisia, Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca, are also preparing hard for the tournament including deliberate efforts to add top-quality players to their roster to enable them to make a good impression in America.
To ensure that clubsides from Europe do well in the global football showpiece, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has tweaked its policy on Transfer Window and has given a nearly two weeks opening for the European clubs to buy new players to fortify their squad for the 32-team competition.
Among the clubs from Europe that are seriously shopping for quality players to bolster their squads ahead of next week’s start of the FIFA Club World Cup finals are Real Madrid (Spain); Bayern Munich (Germany); Benfica (Portugal); Atletico Madrid (Spain); Paris Saint-Germain (France); FC Salzburg (Austria); Borussia Dortmund (Germany); FC Porto (Portugal); Manchester City (UK), and Chelsea FC (UK).
In fact, clubs like Chelsea have been busy in the transfer market trying to sign up a couple of quality players to fortify its porous defence and add bite to the attacking line where it came off worst in the just concluded season by signing a new attacker in Liam Delap from relegated Ipswich Town FC.
Also, Manchester City has already signed Tijjani Reijnders, an AC Milan midfielder while Real Madrid has signed Dean Huijsen and Trent Alexander-Arnold as the Merengues are now all set to secure the transfer of in-demand Argentine wonderkid Franco Mastantuono from River Plate.
Meanwhile, the hottest news of the transfer market as regards the FIFA Club World Cup finals is the desire of Asian representatives Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia, to add the immediate past CAF African Player of the Year, Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen, to its squad for the competition in America.
Amidst speculations of Osimhen joining English clubs, including Chelsea FC, an Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, in an update on the striker’s transfer on Saturday, hinted the public that the Super Eagles lethal striker is headed to native country (Nigeria) to decide which club among the suitors he shall join.
Romano, however, insisted that Al Hilal is keen to sign Osimhen before the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup kicks off on June 15, saying that:
“Victor Osimhen arrives in Nigeria today from Istanbul as he will inform clubs on his decision soon,” Romano wrote on his official X account.
“Al Hilal is prepared to seal the deal with medical tests booked to bring him to the FIFA Club World Cup, waiting for his final decision by tomorrow.”
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The Italian had on Thursday said Al Hilal had made an official bid of €70 million to Osimhen’s parent club Napoli for the services of the Super Eagles striker.
“Al Hilal has submitted an official bid to Napoli for Victor Osimhen as top target. The proposal is worth €65m fixed fee plus €5m add-ons, the decision is up to Napoli now,” Romano wrote.
FIFA Club World Cup 2025 32 qualified teams:
Group A
Palmeiras (Brazil)
Porto (Portugal)
Al Ahly (Egypt)
Inter Miami (US)
Group B
Paris Saint-Germain (France)
Atletico Madrid (Spain)
Botafogo (Brazil)
Seattle Sounders (US)
Group C
Bayern Munich (Germany)
Auckland City (New Zealand)
Boca Juniors (Argentina)
Benfica (Portugal)
Group D
Flamengo (Brazil)
ES Tunis (Tunisia)
Chelsea (United Kingdom)
LAFC (US)
Group E
River Plate (Argentina)
Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan)
Monterrey (Mexico)
Inter Milan (Italy)
Group F
Fluminense (Brazil)
Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
Ulsan HD FC (South Korea)
Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
Group G
Manchester City (UK)
Wydad (Morocco)
Al Ain (United Arab Emirates)
Juventus (Italy)
Group H
Real Madrid (Spain)
Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Pachuca (Mexico)
FC Salzburg (Austria).
