‘Angry’ Osimhen reveals he was forced to sign for Napoli while his father was dying

In mid-2020, Osimhen’s €80 million (£69m/$92m) switch from Lille to Napoli stood out as one of the most high-profile and contentious transfers in Europe.

As Serie A resumed during the pandemic, Osimhen was mourning his father’s passing while facing intense pressure from De Laurentiis and CEO Andrea Chiavelli, who were urging him to finalize the deal swiftly.

Talks continued, with De Laurentiis meeting Osimhen face-to-face to pitch the club’s ambitions. Initially, the striker declined, feeling emotionally overwhelmed and unconvinced.

But within days, under growing pressure from intermediaries, he signed what he now describes as a pivotal agreement he didn’t fully grasp.

The move, now under scrutiny in Italy for possible financial misrepresentation, marked both the start of his rise and the roots of his discontent.

In testimony given to Italy’s Guardia di Finanza — leaked by La Repubblica — Osimhen outlined how the deal progressed without his full awareness or proper documentation.

“My previous agent, Jean Gerard, had expressed serious interest from Napoli, but he was only interested in my transfer and not in my father’s health. At that time, I didn’t have the head to think about football; I just wanted to know how he was doing,” the striker said.

“Gerard called me to meet him in Nice. Luis Campos and Lille president Gerard Lopez were also there. They told me I should move to Napoli, that there was already an agreement in principle and that, due to the pandemic, it was a good opportunity for Lille. But I knew nothing about it.”

As talks progressed, Osimhen’s father passed away, intensifying his frustration as he hadn’t been able to visit him in his final days.

“I was extremely angry with Lille and my agent because I hadn’t been able to see him before he died. They even told me I would have to leave for Naples the next day, without even realising my father’s death,” he added.

“I went to Naples anyway, but I wouldn’t have signed anything. I met with the coach, who explained the project to me, and the next day with De Laurentiis in Capri. He told me about the city and the club, but I didn’t understand what he was saying to Giuntoli because they were speaking in Italian. He asked me if I had seen the contract, but I hadn’t received anything.”

As the process dragged on, Osimhen grew increasingly frustrated. When he requested a copy of the contract, his agent claimed none existed — despite De Laurentiis asserting otherwise.

Eventually, his agent handed him what Osimhen called “a piece of paper, a pseudo-agreement with Napoli.”

Disillusioned, he considered returning to France to escape the turmoil.

He later ended his relationship with the agent and appointed William D’Avila to take over negotiations. By late July 2020, the deal was finalized in Lille, with Napoli’s Maurizio Micheli, Lille’s leadership, and Roberto Calenda — who would become Osimhen’s new agent — all present.

“Towards the end of July, I signed the contract in Lille, in the presence of Maurizio Micheli for Napoli and, among others, D’Avila, Lopez, Ingla, Calenda, and Cros,” Osimhen recalled.

Osimhen’s time at Napoli delivered historic achievements and growing friction.

He netted 76 goals and provided 18 assists in 133 appearances, helped secure Napoli’s first Serie A title in over three decades, and became both the league’s top scorer and the highest-scoring African in its history.

Yet despite the accolades, his relationship with De Laurentiis soured. Disagreements over contract extensions and transfer terms led to his removal from the 2024–25 squad.

He was loaned to Galatasaray, where his resurgence convinced the Turkish side to make the move permanent, officially closing his Napoli chapter.

The deal that began in sorrow and uncertainty now faces renewed scrutiny, as investigators examine whether Napoli’s 2020 agreement with Lille involved inflated valuations to mask capital gains.