Only five days left before the deadline. On September 1st at 11:59 PM, say goodbye to the (summer) transfer market, which will officially close its doors. With only two new signings recorded so far, the Aiglons’ transfer window seems to be stalling.
Indeed, this transfer market, made in Nice, feels like a roller coaster. Florent Ghisolfi and his team took time, days, weeks, and finally the announcements were made: the Gym had just secured two new signings with Morgane Sanson and Jérémie Boga. The worries of Nice supporters had subsided, and optimism was the order of the day. However, since the presentation of the players on July 28th, there has been radio silence. Aside from a few transfer rumors circulating online, there is nothing truly concrete to go on at the moment. So, what’s the holdup?
First of all, Ineos. By tightening the belt, the owner of OGC Nice is clearly putting the club’s finances to the test. It’s difficult to aim for Europe with a low-cost transfer market, and yet, that’s the task assigned to the Aiglons’ sporting director. Make no mistake, the €18 million spent to secure Jérémie Boga is an exception. It was mainly the sales of Dolberg (€5 million, Anderlecht) and Stengs (€6 million, Feyenoord) that allowed for this splurge. Like the recruitment of Morgan Sanson, the loan with purchase option policy remains the key asset.
Digne, Todibo… let’s take stock
The case that has been stirring up the Nice news lately is called Lucas Digne. Unless there’s a twist, the Rayan Aït-Nouri option is unlikely to materialize. Indeed, Wolverhampton is demanding too much (€18 million) for a financially weakened Gym. As for Sergio Akieme, Almería is reluctant to let him go, even on loan. Therefore, Florent Ghisolfi turned to Digne. The French international no longer fits into Unai Emery’s plans at Aston Villa and appears very interested in the Aiglons’ project. But in football, twists and turns are common.
Starting against the Scots of Hibernian in the Europa Conference League last Wednesday, Lucas Digne provided three assists for a heavily controlled win by the Villans (5-0)! The injury to Álex Moreno and the lack of backup forced Aston Villa to reconsider their plans. Ouch. On the Nice side, Melvin Bard is progressing swiftly and is increasingly integrating into the game plan set by Francesco Farioli: ” Melvin is one of the players that pleasantly surprised me the most from the beginning. I was a bit skeptical about his ability to adapt to our system. But he’s progressing.”
“If other players can join, that’s great; however, we already have a quality group.”
Francesco Farioli
Announced at one point to Manchester United, Jean-Clair Todibo seems set to wear the Gym’s colors this season. Like Khéphren Thuram, the central defender wants to prioritize the French league in view of Euro 2024. However, be wary of the Red Devils, who are persistent. Nice might let him leave if an offer deemed satisfactory is made. Absent during the trip to Lorient last weekend, Todibo will indeed be part of the action to face Lyon tonight. Francesco Farioli is enthusiastic: “The rumors have been around since the beginning, so we’ve developed some immunity with the staff. There are still a few days of the transfer window, and maybe he will stay with us, which I’m delighted about.“
The Gym can be followed from 8:45 PM live from Allianz Riviera! The match is also available on Prime Video.