How Osimhen Was Compelled To Sign His Lille To Napoli Transfer

How Osimhen Was Compelled To Sign His Lille To Napoli Transfer

Ibrahim Lateef

BSNSports.com.ng has sourced on Italian newspaper La Repubblica, which unveiled the strong testimony of Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen, who is at the heart of the investigation concerning Napoli's fictitious transfer dealings with French club.

On Wednesday, La Repubblica published investigative documents detailing Napoli’s negotiations to acquire Osimhen from Lille in 2020.

According to the report, Napoli established a spending cap of €50 million for Osimhen, while Lille President Gerard Lopez was open to discussing the deal but also firmly valued the Nigerian international.

Osimhen stated clearly to Italian Prosecutors, "My previous agent, Jean Gerard, had expressed significant interest from Napoli, but he was solely focused on my transfer, showing little regard for my father's health. At that point, my mind was elsewhere; I was solely concerned about my father's well-being."

He recounted to the Guardia di Finanza that Gerard summoned him to Nice, along with Luis Campos and Lille President Gerard Lopez. They impressively insisted that he should sign with Napoli, claiming there was already an agreement in principle, and highlighted that the pandemic presented a prime opportunity for Lille.

However, Osimhen insisted he had no prior knowledge of such arrangements. In a moment of emotional turmoil following his father's passing, he expressed his fury towards Lille and his agent for not allowing him to see his father before his death.

 “They pressured me to leave for Naples the next day, seemingly oblivious to my grief. Out of respect for the Lille president, I traveled to Naples but refused to sign anything. I met with the coach, who outlined the project to me, and later met De Laurentiis in Capri.”

"He shared details about the city and the club, but I struggled to follow the conversation as they spoke in Italian. He inquired if I had seen the contract, but I hadn't received anything."

"Upon returning to the hotel, I demanded a draft of the contract from my agent, who shockingly claimed he didn’t have one. This contradicted what the president had informed me. Eventually, he presented me with a vague piece of paper—essentially a pseudo-agreement with Napoli.

"Furious, I considered returning to France. I requested a week’s break from Lopez and headed to Paris. After some reflection back in Lille, I decided to terminate my relationship with that agent. Recognizing Napoli's genuine interest, I enlisted William D'Avila to manage my transfer.

"By the end of July, I officially signed the contract in Lille, with Maurizio Micheli representing Napoli and several others, including D'Avila, Lopez, Ingla, Calenda, and Cros, present."

When the Finance Police inquired, "Have you ever had any dealings with Roberto Calenda before your mandate?" Osimhen confidently clarified, "Yes, in December 2021, I sought a €550,000 loan for family expenses, which I promised to repay."