Victor Osimhen: Prosecutors Request 6-Month Extension in Swap Deal Investigation

The Italian Serie A club Napoli and Victor Osimhen’s former club Lille are being investigated in connection with a swap deal involving the Nigerian forward.

Prosecutors investigating the case recently requested a 6-month extension to conduct a thorough investigation into Victor Osimhen’s transfer from Lille to Napoli.

On September 1, 2020, Osimhen left French Ligue 1 club Lille for Italian Serie A club Napoli, according to Naija News. The Italian club paid a club record transfer fee of £70.1 million to sign the 24-year-old striker.

An investigation in Italy, however, reveals that £17.5 million of the total amount allegedly paid to Lille was made up of four players who transferred from Napoli to the French club.

Goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis, who was 35 at the time, and three youth-team players, Luigi Liguori, Claudio Manzi, and Ciro Palmieri, were involved in the swap deal.

Investigations revealed that these players did not join Lille as claimed, as their contracts were canceled immediately after Osimhen’s transfer was completed. The aforementioned players are now playing for non-league clubs.

This implies that the deal was centered on Osimhen rather than the other parties involved in the alleged swap deal. However, the players were allegedly involved in the deal to cover up for spending money on young players, which is not permitted under FIFA Fair Play (FFP) rules.

What could happen if Napoli is found to have committed irregularities?
Napoli currently leads the Italian Serie A by 19 points, implying that they are on the verge of winning the championship.

If they are found to have committed irregularities in their transaction with Lille, huge points could be deducted from their points total, or the title could be stripped from them if they eventually win it.

What could possibly happen to Osimhen?

Major clubs across Europe are interested in Osimhen, who has 21 league goals and 5 assists in 23 league games.

Prosecutors investigating his transfer from Lille to Napoli are expected to complete their investigation by the end of the summer after requesting a 6-month extension.

By then, if any of the top clubs, including Chelsea, PSG, Manchester United, and Manchester City, pay Napoli’s asking price this summer, the Nigerian international would be exempt from any punishment Napoli might receive if found guilty.

The only way he could be affected is if Napoli are stripped of the Serie A title they are on the verge of winning.