OGC Nice was waiting for offensive reinforcements after three friendly matches without scoring a single goal. On Monday, the club officially announced the arrival, without transfer fees, of Cameroonian winger Nathan Ngoumou from Borussia Mönchengladbach. At 26 years old, he arrives with particular motivation: to erase a blank season caused by an Achilles tendon rupture.
A year and a half without playing is an eternity in a footballer’s career and Nathan Ngoumou doesn’t hide it. The period was long, but it transformed him. “I came out of it stronger,” he confides, evoking a mindset now “hungry for revenge“ regarding football and life.
After passing through the Clairefontaine rehabilitation center and then physical preparation in the south, he assures today that he no longer feels any discomfort and says he is ready to start quickly, with the decision up to the coach.
Four years in the Bundesliga: rigour and direct play
Trained at Toulouse, where he notably won a Ligue 2 title, Ngoumou flew to Germany at the age of 22. Borussia Mönchengladbach paid 8 million euros to secure the player who was then playing for France’s U-21 team. From his four years spent across the Rhine, he first recalls a strong cultural contrast: “Germans are very rigorous, very pragmatic. That’s really what stands out from my time there.“
On the tactical side, he mentions precise learning about his runs in depth, which were clumsy for a long time. A point on which he says he has made significant progress. He cites two influential figures from this period, Swiss coach Gerardo Seoane and assistant Oliver Neuville, a former German player, whom he describes as “a great striker who gave me lots of advice.“
The return to France, an obvious choice
While his game improved greatly in Nordrhein-Westphalia, Nathan Ngoumou jokes about the language barrier: “German isn’t quite there yet, even if I understand it!” Still with his big smile, he adds: “Being able to speak French at training is a pleasure. Saying things like “let’s go!”, “go deep!”, was a rare thing.“
While the Nice sporting project attracted him, the player specifically insists on the personal dimension of his return to France. Getting back to a French-speaking dressing room was part of his wishes. What ultimately convinced him was the Nice mentality he perceived from his arrival: “I feel the club’s desire to show it has its place in Ligue 1, that’s what’s most important.“
Offensive versatility and personal ambitions
Tactically, the former Toulouse player was seduced by Olivier Pantaloni’s 3-4-3 system. Although playing mainly on the right attacking flank, he claims his real versatility: “I have the qualities to be able to play on all fronts of the attack.” He wants to rely on his speed and penetration to “bring danger into the opponent’s box.“
He also hasn’t forgotten the Cameroon national team, chosen in March 2025 after wearing France’s colors in youth teams between 2019 and 2022. With two caps to his name, the Indomitable Lion had to miss the Africa Cup of Nations: “Last season, I missed the CAN because of my injury. It’s an objective, I want to represent my country and go as far as possible with Cameroon.“
Nice, “the best place to play”
When asked about his connection to Nice, the player evokes teenage memories linked to the club: “I’m a football lover, I remember teams with Ben Arfa, Balotelli, and of course with my former teammate, Alassane Pléa, who told me I would do well at this historic club.“
After living in Düsseldorf, the contrast with the Côte d’Azur is immediate for him: “It’s a setting that makes a lot of people dream. Today, I’m really happy to be here. I think it’s the best place to play.“
Nice’s third signing of the summer, Nathan Ngoumou could make his big debut in the Gym jersey as early as Saturday, when hosting Lorient for the first day of Ligue 1 (kick-off at 8:45 p.m.).
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