Former Liverpool striker Djibril Cissé is being held in police custody in connection to an alleged blackmail case against Mathieu Valbuena, reports The Telegraph.
The ex-France international is understood to be one of four men under investigation by French police over the alleged attempted blackmail of Valbuena using a sex tape that is reported to contain the diminutive Lyon midfielder.
Cissé and Valbuena have previously been teammates both at international level for France, as well as at club level for Marseilles between 2007 and 2009, however police conducting the inquiry told French newspaper, Le Figaro, that Cissé was part of their investigation into a plot to extort Valbuena of money.
Djibril Cissé is currently a free agent having been released by former side SC Bastia at the end of last season. The 34 year-old, who is set to appear on the French version of Strictly Come Dancing in the coming weeks, recently announced he was taking a break from football: but maintained he was not yet retiring.
"Football is not over for me," he recently told French newspaper, Le Figaro.
"I'm going to have an operation in January and, with God's help, I will return."
While police have failed to confirm the existence of the alleged sex tape, Versailles investigators said that Cissé was being held in relation to an alleged plan to extort the 31-year-old Valbuena of money.