Victor Osimhen Faces Criminal Embezzlement Investigation Over €90,000 Mercedes-Benz Leasing Debt

Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen is reportedly at the centre of a criminal investigation in Italy, after the legal representatives of Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Italia lodged a formal complaint against him at the Crescenzago Carabinieri station in Milan, according to ilnapolista.it.

The complaint relates to a leasing agreement Osimhen signed in 2023 for a hybrid-fuel Mercedes GLE during his time at Napoli. Mercedes-Benz alleges the 27-year-old Nigerian failed to meet the agreed monthly instalment payments throughout the contract period, allowing an accumulated debt of approximately €90,000 — equivalent to roughly ₦143 million — to go unsettled.

The matter has escalated beyond a civil dispute after Osimhen reportedly declined to return the vehicle following the expiry of the leasing contract. That refusal, according to reports, prompted Italian authorities to open preliminary investigations into a charge of appropriazione indebita — the Italian legal term for embezzlement. As proceedings advance, Mercedes-Benz’s legal team is expected to make formal contact with the player’s representatives to obtain his account before pursuing further judicial action in Italian courts.

Osimhen departed Napoli following the 2023/24 season, having famously led the club to their first Serie A title in 33 years during the 2022/23 campaign — a season in which he finished as the league’s top scorer with 26 goals. He joined Galatasaray in the Turkish Süper Lig, where he has continued to perform at a high level, and is currently the subject of reported transfer interest, with Barcelona among the clubs said to have submitted a bid as of late April 2026.

The alleged failure to clear a €90,000 debt has drawn attention given Osimhen’s widely publicised collection of high-value automobiles. Since relocating to Istanbul, the forward has been seen driving a Lamborghini Revuelto valued at over €500,000. His garage also reportedly includes a green Lamborghini Urus — acquired around the time of his 26th birthday — and a Rolls-Royce Cullinan.

At this stage, the investigation remains at a preliminary level, and no formal charges have been confirmed. Under Italian law, a formal denunciation filed with the Carabinieri initiates a process of inquiry rather than constituting a conviction or indictment. Osimhen’s legal representatives have not yet issued a public response to the allegations, according to reports.

The development adds an off-field complication for Osimhen at a pivotal moment in his career, with his future club situation still unresolved ahead of the summer transfer window and Nigeria’s preparations for upcoming international fixtures continuing.