OGC Nice strengthens with the announced signing of Wylan Cyprien who comes from Lens. At 21 years old, it’s a new gamble following the arrivals of young players Lusamba and Donis. This is the sixth arrival of the transfer window.
To each their own project, to each their own budget. If Nice has been making progress in recent years, it’s thanks to its youth policy, expertly managed by a highly efficient training center. This summer, the club from the French Riviera has expanded with the arrival of new Chinese and American investors. The 2016-2017 season seems to be marked by youth under the guidance of a coach, Lucien Favre, who is experienced in “youth projects.”
Cyprien, captain at 20
Wylan Cyprien, the new Nice player, is not a newcomer to Ligue 1. Thrown into the professional arena at the age of 17 (on January 23, 2013, in the Coupe de France), the player trained at Lens has 110 professional matches to his name, including 33 in Ligue 1 during the 2014-2015 season. Cyprien scored two goals, one against the Gym, and provided 2 assists that season. Last season, Wylan Cyprien wore the captain’s armband, a sign of true confidence and maturity. He played 34 matches, starting in 31 of them, and scored 7 goals, made 1 assist, and received 6 yellow cards.
A crowded midfield
Considered a box-to-box midfielder (number 8 in a 3-man midfield), he enters a fierce competition in the midfield, where Koziello, Séri, and Lusamba are already present (Walter being a true defensive midfielder). Last season, the 4-3-3 was the preferred option by Claude Puel. For this season, Lucien Favre seems to trust the 4-2-3-1, but there are three more friendly matches (against Toulouse, Napoli, and Sporting Portugal) to get a clearer idea of the preferred system or systems.
Photo credit: OGC Nice Media
