Man Utd target Victor Osimhen at centre of investigation into Napoli after joining in bizarre swap transfer
NAPLES hosts its first senior Italy international for ten years when England visit for a Euro 2024 qualifier on Thursday.
But Estadio Diego Armando Maradona’s atmosphere will be nothing compared to a few weeks’ time if Napoli win a first Serie A title since 1990.
Napoli are 19 points clear but there are nerves off the pitch over star Victor Osimhen .
It is no surprise that both Chelsea and Manchester United want to sign the Nigerian, 24, who has 25 goals this term.
There is concern the move which brought Osimhen from Lille in a £70.1million deal in 2020 could give the club a major problem.
Juventus suffered a 15-point penalty for false accounting to inflate player transfer values and falsify FFP.
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It looks as though Napoli may have done something similar. The Naples Public Prosecutor’s Office has asked for a six-month extension to an investigation into the transfer and will make a decision in the summer.
And it is because £17.5m of that Osimhen transfer was made up of four players who went the other way to Lille.
These were keeper Orestis Karnezis and three youth-team players, Luigi Liguori, Claudio Manzi and Ciro Palmieri.
None of those four players, including Karnezis, who was 35 at the time, ever played for Lille.
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Some of them have never been to the French city as their deals were soon cancelled and the younger players are in non-league.
It seems obvious that the actual deal was about Osimhen and a way of spending money on young players which are not included in FFP rules.
Napoli could be in trouble. But by the time they are dealt with, Osimhen may be in the Premier League.
The Nigerian recently aid of his future at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium: "When you are doing so well, top clubs around the world are watching, mostly in the top five leagues.
"And to be able to be attract interest from these top clubs shows that I am doing great and it gives me the motivation to do even more for myself and my team.
"But I am focused on Napoli right now and they have the final say. I just want to help my team to win matches and win trophies.
"At the end of the season, we will see what is going to happen, but that is not up to me. It is for the club to decide."
CELTIC are known for their incredible support when playing in friendlies south of the border.
But even by their own high standards, Celtic’s away following at Anfield on Saturday is ridiculous.
The Hoops sold out their 3,000 allocation and another 2,000 are expected for a charity legends match between Liverpool and Celtic in aid of the LFC Foundation. It’s £27 a ticket, which gets you an executive box at some Scottish grounds…
TOTTENHAM’S superb training-ground complex is now the official London home of the England senior team.
While the squad met up at St George’s Park for tomorrow’s game against Italy, they will return to London to train — and also sleep — at Spurs’ practice facilities in Enfield.
England first used Spurs’ complex in 2017 as Arsenal, the previous hosts, were revamping their pitches at London Colney.
Gareth Southgate and his players still stayed at the Grove Hotel, near Watford, and commuted to Hotspur Way.
But these days the FA are hiring both the training pitches and the hotel accommodation.
COMO against Parma in Serie B at the weekend was a golden one for us oldies.
Skippering Como to a 2-0 win was 35-year-old Cesc Fabregas — while his opposing captain was Gianluigi Buffon, 45.
The keeper made his first Parma debut 28 years ago.
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ROY HODGSON has returned to Crystal Palace aged 75 — although there was a 68-year-old who wanted the job.
Sam Allardyce loved his spell at Selhurst Park in the 2016-17 season but his reappointment would have really given Palace’s supporters something to moan about.