
<p>Reports out of Italy claim Napoli is under investigation for its purchase of Victor Osimhen from Lille. The transfer occurred in 2020 in a deal worth around $82 million in total. However, there are suggestions of financial issues regarding part of the deal.</p>



<p><em><a href="https://www.repubblica.it/sport/calcio/serie-a/napoli/2023/04/12/news/plusvalenze_napoli_affare_osimhen_perquisizioni_finanza_manzi-395784570/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">La Repubblica</a></em> is reporting that the Italian club agreed to pay about $59 million of the aforementioned fee in cash. French side Lille would then receive the remaining $23 million in valuation of four players. Claudio Monzi, Luigi Liguori, Ciro Palmieri and Orestis Karnezis were the quartet set to transfer to Lille. Nevertheless, there are suggestions that the little-known players’ combined fees were overvalued to inflate capital gains.</p>



<h5>Quartet never actually played for Lille</h5>



<p>Monzi actually never even went to Lille. The club loaned him out immediately. According to Transfermarkt, Liguori had a valuation of about $88,000 but he made the move to Lille for $4.7 million. Palmieri had a similar valuation by the website and transferred for over $8 million. Also, Karnezis picked up an overvaluation. He retired from the sport in 2022. </p>



<p>None of the four players actually played a match for Lille.</p>



<p>It was <a href="https://www.footitalia.com/la-repubblica-prosecutors-will-ask-for-paperwork-on-osimhen-deal/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a> earlier in the year that Italian prosecutors would investigate the 2020 transfers. The news came soon after fellow <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/serie-a-tv-schedule/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Serie A</a> club <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/juventus-tv-schedule/">Juventus</a> faced a deduction of 15 league points for financial irregularities in the team’s books. Now, the Guardia di Finanza are reportedly gathering official documents on the Osimhen transfer.</p>



<h2>Osimhen now one of top players in the world at Napoli</h2>



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<p>Osimhen exceeded expectations in Italy. The center forward has 53 goals in 91 total matches with the Italian team. This season in particular has been the Nigeria international’s breakout campaign. He has managed to rack up 29 combined goals and assists in as many matches this season.</p>



<p>With help from their star striker, Napoli is cruising in the Serie A during the current campaign. They are currently leading the Italian top flight by 16 points over Lazio. Napoli will however, have to face fellow Serie A club <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/ac-milan-tv-schedule/">AC Milan</a> in the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/champions-league-tv-schedule/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Champions League</a> quarterfinal without Osimhen. The star misses out due to a recent injury.</p>



<p><em>PHOTO: IMAGO / Sportimage</em></p>


Current Serie A leaders Napoli are reportedly under investigation for the 2020 transfer of Victor Osimhen from Lille, a four-player deal.

Napoli under investigation for Osimhen transfer, says report


<p>Across Europe’s top-five leagues, Victor Osimhen is a major reason for why Napoli is the most in-form team with dominance domestically and continentally. The Nigerian striker, combining seamlessly with Georgian Kvicha Kvaratskhelia, has 18 goals. That is five better than second-place Lautaro Martínez at Inter Milan. More impressive, though, is that Osimhen has done it in four fewer games than the Argentine.</p>



<p>The reward for Napoli is a 15 point gap lead on Martínez and Inter Milan in the race for the Scudetto. In Europe, Osimhen and Napoli blitzed through their Champions League group that had Liverpool and Ajax. The only falter in that group was a loss at Anfield, 2-0. In European play, Osimhen added to his tally with a goal against Ajax. He did, however, miss half of those games with either injury or substitute status.</p>



<p>The Nigerian’s rise has pundits and coaches alike naming him among the top strikers in the world, not just Italy. Here is how he went from the Belgian Pro League to Serie A leader in just five years.</p>



<h5>Osimhen’s beginnings</h5>



<p>Victor Osimhen first made headlines with a magical 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup performance. The Ultimate Strikers Academy phenom won the Golden Boot when he scored ten goals and had two assists in seven matches. Nigeria trounced the likes of Croatia, the United States and mighty Brazil to win the tournament. Success at the U-17 World Cup earned Osimhen a deal with Wolfsburg. He began training with the first team not long after. </p>



<p>He did not see a lot of game time with Wolfsburg as they battled through relegation scares to stay afloat. In two years with the Germans, Osimhen made 15 total appearances and scored no goals. He moved on loan to Belgian side RSC Charleroi, where he earned both lots of minutes and goals. His 12 goals and 3 assists in 25 matches powered them to an eighth-place league finish. That output also attracted suitors across Europe.</p>



<p>“My confidence level [at Wolfsburg] was very low at some point, and what going out on loan to Charleroi has done for me is unexplainable,” Osimhen told <a href="https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/46344657" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BBC Sport</a> while playing in the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/belgian-pro-league-tv-schedule/">Jupiler Pro League</a>. “The football in Belgium has helped, I also have a wonderful group of players around me and the coaching crew have been great with me.”</p>



<p>After making the loan permanent in 2019, Osimhen packed his bags for LOSC Lille in a $24 million move, which was more than three times as profitable as Charleroi’s previous record departure.&nbsp;</p>



<p>“Lille is a very good club that has a high quality project and attracts players with great class, even more so than ever before in recent years,” Osimhen said after replacing Rafael Leao from Milan. “I am very happy to be here and to join this great club called Lille. I am still very young, I am learning and I think that this project suits me perfectly to continue to progress.”</p>



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<p>Osimhen made an immediate impact after stepping foot on the Stade Pierre Mauroy. he scored four goals in his first three Ligue 1 matches. Despite the club’s mediocrity on the big stage with five losses in six Champions League games, Osimhen was a breath of fresh air. He ended the season with thirteen goals, fourth in Ligue 1. His performances, like Leao’s in the previous season, earned him a move to the Serie A.</p>



<h5>A Naples-made dream</h5>



<p>After beating Manchester United and Chelsea in the race for Osimhen, Napoli has put Osimhen to great use. Each season, the striker improves. His debut campaign brought a decent return of 10 goals in 2020/21. Then, he put out 13 in 2021/22. This season, he bested those with many games still to play. After 19 games, he has 18 goals and three assists. That is good for over a goal contribution per game in Serie A. He’s been key in his three-year tenure at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. He leads Napoli’s quests to challenge European action with one of Europe’s best front lines.</p>



<p>Despite stars like Lorenzo Insigne and Dries Mertens status on the team, Osimhen was who Napoli went to for goals, and for good reason.</p>



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<p>“Osimhen is such a great striker. I am stunned by the potential he has and excited to see what he’ll do in future,” manager <a href="https://www.vanguardngr.com/2023/01/osimhens-a-great-striker-says-excited-spalletti/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Luciano Spalletti told DAZN</a> after their 5-1 romp over Juventus. “There were these two or three balls down the touchline and he has the pace, the skill, the courage and physicality to deal with those situations. After all, he smashed his face a couple of times because he goes for every ball. He still has remarkable room for improvement.”</p>



<p>His highlights include a Europa League brace against Leicester, a hat-trick in Napoli’s win over Sassuolo and his two goals and assist in the 5-1 win.</p>



<h2>Explaining the dominance of Victor Osimhen</h2>



<p>Osimhen is not a dangerous dribbler like Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. He is not an intrusive, space-creating winger like Matteo Politano. </p>



<p>Rather, Osimhen’s chief job is to lurk in the box and look for chances inside the box. It fits; he can score with both feet and his head. He can even be a playmaker inside the box. </p>



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<p>Wherever Osimhen has played, he has had good creators behind him, so he does not dribble nor fall deep to get the ball. But, we do know that his ability to make the right pass and create opportunities is there.</p>



<p>His frame is large at 6’1 and 165 pounds. Just visually, he towers over defenders, so it’s only natural Luciano Spalletti uses Osimhen as a traditional No. 9. Osimhen is dynamic, always moving, and although his chief priority is to make line-breaking runs past the last man, he often breaks loose to join wing-oriented attacks or drifts wide to create space.&nbsp;</p>



<p>That movement is why he has 80 total Serie A shots, 32 of which are on target. His current tally puts him on pace for a sensational, and potentially record-breaking, 36 league goals by the end of the campaign. It helps that Osimhen is clinical, athletic, confident, and intelligent with his positioning. That’s a combination that only a few top-tier strikers have.</p>



<p>Osimhen’s profile resembles that of Erling Haaland, Harry Kane or Dusan Vlahovic. All three are both big, burly, cut-throat strikers leading some of Europe’s storied teams. The similarities mean it’s no surprise that teams like United, Liverpool and Chelsea are pursuing the Nigerian attacker. Despite his skill and obvious goal-scoring ability, Osimhen likely won’t leave Napoli for a while. His contract expires in two years, but he is at the crux of something special in southern Italy. </p>



<h5>Osimhen’s future</h5>



<p>It seems like Napoli will run away with the Scudetto. <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/soccer-predictions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FiveThirtyEight</a> estimates their odds of winning at 97%, by far the best among Europe’s top leagues. Napoli has one of its best chances at winning a continental trophy since Maradona’s time. With an exciting young core to build around, the Naples faithful will enjoy a dominant period already taking place.</p>



<p>As for Osimhen, he feels as elated as the Napoli fans to be a part of such a thriving fanbase. “Not even 100%, 1,001% per cent. I am at one of the biggest clubs in Europe, one of the best leagues in Europe,” <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/sports/football/super-eagles-star-victor-osimhen-speaks-on-his-future-amidst-manchester-united-links/7pyl6sm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">he said</a> to Nigerian outlet OmaSports on whether he wanted to stay or not. “This is the life I want to live.”</p>



<p><em>PHOTO: IMAGO / Antonio Balasco</em>&nbsp;</p>


The dominance of Victor Osimhen is profound. He is lighting up Serie A at a blistering pace, and leading Napoli into the Champions League.

Dominance of Victor Osimhen taking Napoli to new heights

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<p>Napoli continued their Serie A title charge as they thrashed Cremonese 3-0 at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium on Sunday evening. The result sees the Partenopei open up a 16-point lead at the top of the standings over second-placed Inter Milan having played an extra game.</p>



<p>Khvicha Kvaratskhelia opened the scoring for the hosts in the 21<sup>st</sup> minute with a brilliant bottom-corner finish. The Georgian, who was playing on his twenty-second birthday, picked up a loose ball from the right flank before dropping his shoulder to fire past Marco Carnesecchi in the Cremonese goal. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">KHVICHA KVARATSKHELIA GIVES NAPOLI FANS SOMETHING TO CELEBRATE ON HIS 22ND BIRTHDAY.  🥳 <a href="https:\/\/t.co/JwmRsQ8Jr6">pic.twitter.com/JwmRsQ8Jr6</a></p>— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/CBSSportsGolazo/status/1624864222760026112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2023</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https:\/\/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<p>The hosts should have been ahead by 3-0 within the first 30 minutes but Kvaratskhelia and Victor Osimhen both missed free headers from just 6 yards out in the penalty box in a matter of minutes.</p>



<p>Carnesecchi kept the score at 1-0 by denying Stanislav Lobotka right before the halftime whistle as Luciano Spalletti’s side looked utterly dominant and playing like Champions elect. Cremonese, who are bottom of the standings in the Serie A hardly troubled the hosts as they failed to create any chances of their own.</p>



<p>Five minutes after the hour mark, Osimhen got his goal, tapping home into an empty net following Govani Di Lorenzo’s header that had been superbly saved by Carnesecchi. It was the Nigerian’s 17<sup>th</sup> league goal this season.</p>



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<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Victor Osimhen&apos;s 17th Serie A goal of the season. 🇳🇬 🦅<br><br>He extends his lead in the Capocannoniere race. 🥇 <a href="https:\/\/t.co/zjSXyMmyOi">pic.twitter.com/zjSXyMmyOi</a></p>— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/CBSSportsGolazo/status/1624880089820438528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2023</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https:\/\/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<p>Substitute Eljif Elmas then made it 3-0 in the 79<sup>th</sup> minute with a stunning finish hitting the bottom corner after some wonderful interplay in midfield and the final third. Napoli dominated the game from start to finish and they barely allowed Cremonese to trouble their goalkeeper in the entirety of the second half.</p>



<p>It has been over 3 decades since the Partenopei last won the Scudetto back during the golden days of Diego Maradona in the 1989-90 campaign. Their scintillating form this season and a 19<sup>th</sup> victory in the league surely puts them as clear favorites to win the coveted league trophy finally after near misses over the past few years to Juventus. &nbsp;</p>



<p><em>Photo: IMAGO / sportphoto24</em></p>


Napoli thrash Cremonese to continue Serie A title charge - World Soccer Talk

Napoli thrash Cremonese to continue Serie A title charge


<p>Napoli smashed <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/teams/juventus-tv-schedule/">Juventus</a>, 5-1, to increase its lead atop the <a href="https:\/\/www.worldsoccertalk.com/serie-a-tv-schedule" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Serie A</a> standings to 10 points on Friday. The hosts dominated the much-anticipated matchup of the top two clubs in Italy. Napoli also extended their impressive form as one of the hottest teams in Europe. In fact, Napoli has now collected all three points in 13 of its last 14 league matches.</p>



<p>Juventus entered the night also on a hot streak, as well. In fact, the Old Lady had recorded eight consecutive victories in league play. Juve have even kept clean sheets in all of these matches as well. Head coach Max Allegri has managed to take the club from eighth in <a href="https:\/\/www.cbssports.com/soccer/serie-a/standings/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the table</a> all the way to second since the winning streak began.</p>



<h2>Napoli dynamic duo link up early against Juventus</h2>



<p>The Old Lady’s impressive record would not last long, though. Osimhen gave Napoli the lead just 14 minutes into the match. Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny made a good initial save from a Khvicha Kvaratskhelia shot, but the Nigerian international headed home the rebound from close range. It was only the fourth time this season that Juve allowed the opening goal in league play.</p>



<p>Kvaratskhelia doubled Napoli’s lead five minutes before the halftime break. Osimhen pounced on a loose ball inside Juve’s box and found the wide open Georgia international. Kvaratskhelia curled a perfectly placed shot passed Szczesny and into the net.</p>



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<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">KHVICHA KVARATSHKELIA IS HAVING HIMSELF A NIGHT IN NAPLES. 🤩<br><br>Gli Azzurri are absolutely taking it to Juventus in the first half. 👊 <a href="https:\/\/t.co/13anz4OHlK">pic.twitter.com/13anz4OHlK</a></p>— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/CBSSportsGolazo/status/1613997159346769921?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2023</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https:\/\/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<p>However, Di Maria halved Juve’s deficit just three minutes later. With his back to goal, Arkadiusz Milik played a simple pass to the Argentine who, like Kvaratskhelia, curled a shot passed the goalkeeper. It was Di Maria’s first goal for his club since August. Although, he scored a goal in the World Cup final with Argentina in December.</p>



<p>Napoli’s two-goal lead returned in the 55th minute from an unlikely goal-scorer. Amir Rrahmani hit a beautiful strike near the penalty spot from a corner routine. It was his first goal of the current campaign. Szczesny thought Osimhen was offside and blocking his view. However, replays showed that the Nigerian was well onside.</p>



<h5>Osimhen extends Serie A scoring lead</h5>



<p>Osimhen and Kvara connected again for the team’s fourth goal on the night. The Georgian put a cross on a platter and the Nigerian headed home passed Szczesny from short range. Osimhen’s brace means that he now has a dozen goals in just 14 Serie A games so far this season.</p>



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<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">GO OFF VICTOR OSIMHEN. 🔥<br><br>Two goals and an assist tonight for Napoli&apos;s 24-year-old star striker. 🇳🇬 <a href="https:\/\/t.co/Y217hySlXy">pic.twitter.com/Y217hySlXy</a></p>— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/CBSSportsGolazo/status/1614008093846962176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2023</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https:\/\/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<p>Napoli added a fifth goal as substitute Eljif Elmas scored in the 72nd minute. Although the ball was heavily deflected by a Juve defender, the Macedonian midfielder struck the ball well and put enough pace on it to get it by Szczesny.</p>



<p>Juve will now have to regroup as they turn their attention to the Coppa Italia next week. Napoli fans, on the other hand, will surely be celebrating the massive victory all weekend.</p>



<p><em>PHOTO: IMAGO / LaPresse</em></p>


Napoli extended their lead atop the Serie A table to 10 points thanks to a 5-1 thumping of second-placed Juventus on Friday night.

Napoli crush Juventus to extend huge Serie A lead - World Soccer Talk

Napoli crush Juventus to extend huge Serie A lead

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Leagues: Serie A

Napoli under investigation for Osimhen transfer, says report

Leagues: Serie A

Dominance of Victor Osimhen taking Napoli to new heights

Leagues: Serie A

Napoli thrash Cremonese to continue Serie A title charge

Juventus

Napoli crush Juventus to extend huge Serie A lead