Darío Osorio could have earned more money away from England. Kristian Bak Nielsen, sporting director of Denmark's FC Midtjylland, revealed that the Chilean forward received an offer from Saudi Arabia before signing for Crystal Palace in the latest European transfer window.
According to La Tercera, the club official spoke to the Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet. "Osorio could have earned more money in Saudi Arabia. And we probably could have secured a slightly higher fee for him," he said. The source does not specify which Saudi club made the offer or the amount.
The move to the league where Cristiano Ronaldo plays did not go ahead because of the player's own wishes and the club's decision. "It was more important to us that Osorio saw his dream come true," explained Bak Nielsen, who added that Midtjylland wanted to send a player directly to the Premier League.
The numbers explain the interest. In Denmark, the attacking midfielder played 122 matches, with 26 goals and 18 assists, before becoming one of the south London side's last-minute signings.
The sale fits the Danish club's model: buying young players, developing them and selling them to bigger leagues. The British magazine Total Football Analysis, citing The Guardian, reported that Midtjylland completed the most profitable transfer window in its history with the sales of Osorio and Franculino Djú. Since 2018, the club had already generated more than 200 million euros from player sales.
In England, the Chilean is still waiting for playing time. Radio ADN reported that Osorio was left out of the squad for Crystal Palace's 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest, which left the Eagles in 12th place with seven points.
According to information from El Deportivo cited by ADN, coach Pierre Sage left him out as a precaution. Osorio was returning from the FIFA international window with La Roja in North America, against Canada, the United States and Mexico, and only rejoined training on the Thursday before the match.
