Born in 1979, David Hellebuyck is expected to sign a four-season contract with OGC Nice today after the customary medical examination. Hellebuyck’s career began in Lyon during the 1996-97 season before moving to Guingamp (99-00), Lausanne (00-01), and then spending five seasons at St Etienne from 2001 to 2006. He has played over 200 matches in Ligue 1, 7 in the European Cup, scoring a total of 24 goals. The transfer fee for this new recruit has not been disclosed but is said to be under one million euros. The left-footed midfielder will reunite with Frédéric Antonetti, who had previously coached him at Saint Etienne, while FC Metz had also shown interest in signing the former Parisian.
Another novelty presented by OGC Nice is the new jerseys that the players will wear at home and away. Lotto, the new equipment supplier from Nice, has just delivered two new jerseys, red and black for home games at Ray Stadium and white with red and black stitching for away matches. Simple and sleek, both jerseys will bear the Takara sponsor’s logo and feature the insignia of the Italian equipment maker.
A new player, new jerseys, OGC Nice is kicking off its summer market, and rumors are circulating about the potential arrival of Razak Boukari, a midfielder from RC Lens who previously played for 2 years at Châteauroux. The swap deal involving Hugo Lloris has fallen through, and it remains unclear if the arrival of the young prospect will come to fruition.
For now, Antonetti’s “commando” is fine-tuning their preparation ahead of their entrance into the thicket of Ligue 1, where they must fight hard to emerge unscathed, or possibly better.
