Victor Osimhen Opens Up About Joining Napoli Following His Father’s Passing

Victor Osimhen has disclosed that he felt pressured to join Napoli while dealing with his father’s illness, claiming that agents and club officials pushed the transfer without his agreement.

The Nigerian forward, who transitioned from Lille to Napoli in the summer of 2020 for about €80 million, has spoken to Italy’s Guardia di Finanza. A leak from La Repubblica revealed that he claimed the transfer took place without his awareness or proper documentation.

“My former agent, Jean Gerard, was focused on Napoli’s interest but ignored my father’s condition. At that time, I was preoccupied with my father’s health and not thinking about football,” he stated.

“Gerard arranged a meeting in Nice with Luis Campos and Lille president Gerard Lopez. They insisted I should go to Napoli, mentioning there was already an agreement in place and that the pandemic made it a good time for Lille. However, I was unaware of any such agreement.”

Osimhen’s frustration grew when he asked for a draft of the Napoli contract, only to find out from his agent that none existed, contrary to what club president De Laurentiis had claimed.

“After my father passed away, I felt anger towards Lille and my manager because I couldn’t see my father in his last moments. They asked me to travel to Naples right after my father’s death. I went out of respect for the Lille president but had no intention of signing anything.”

“Initially, I met with the manager who explained the club’s plans. The following day, I met De Laurentiis in Capri. He talked about the city and the club, but I struggled to follow because they spoke in Italian. They asked if I had seen the contract, but I couldn’t comprehend anything.”

“When I returned to the hotel, I asked my agent for a contract draft. He told me there was none, which surprised me since the president had said otherwise. Eventually, he showed me a document that he claimed was a deal with Napoli.”

During his tenure at Napoli, Victor Osimhen helped the team win the Serie A title in the 2022–23 season, marking the club’s first Scudetto in 33 years. His impressive performances also led him to receive multiple individual honors, including being the top scorer in Serie A that season, making him the first African player to achieve this.