The former Liverpool striker Djibril Cissé is among four people who have been taken into custody by the French authorities regarding the possible blackmail of a French league player.
The alleged blackmail is believed to have taken place over a sex tape. However, Cissé is expected to be released and put “out of the question” in terms of his alleged role.
The 34-year-old Cissé, whose career has been marred by injuries, is currently without a club after being released by the Ligue 1 side Bastia in the summer.
He joined Liverpool for £14.5m in 2004 and scored 24 goals in 79 appearances before leaving in 2007. He also played for Sunderland and Queens Park Rangers and played 41 times for for France.
The judiciary police in Versailles are in charge of the investigation into alleged extortion and offences which are punishable by at least five years in jail, the public prosecutor’s office said.
