Arriving in the final moments of the summer transfer window, two of OGC Nice’s new reinforcements were officially presented this Wednesday afternoon at the training center. Mohammed Amoura and Niels Nkounkou share their first impressions, discussing their choice of the Gym, ambitions and desire to get back on the pitch.
The transfer window is now closed at Nice. After several particularly eventful weeks, the Gym waited until the final hours of the transfer market to welcome several new faces. Among them, Mohammed Amoura who officially joined the club on August 31, before Niels Nkounkou arrived on the Riviera last night, in the dying moments. The left-back arrives notably to fill the gap left by Melvin Bard’s departure to Leeds, while the Algerian international comes to strengthen Nice’s attacking sector. Presented this Wednesday afternoon at the training center, the two players were able to discuss their first steps on the Côte d’Azur and the reasons that led them to choose the Nice project.
Mohammed Amoura: « 100% Ready »
Courted by several clubs, including Olympique Lyonnais and Saudi club Neom, Mohamed Amoura chose to impose his attacking play on the Côte d’Azur. Convinced by the OGC Nice project and encouraged by Hicham Boudaoui in particular, the Algerian international is taking on this new challenge with determination. « I chose Nice because I know it’s a big club in France », sums up the 26-year-old forward bluntly, eager to take a step up after spells in Switzerland, Belgium and Germany.
If other offers were on the table, discussions with the Gym’s management quickly tipped the scales. On the pitch, Amoura will be able to count on solid reference points to facilitate his adaptation. Besides Hicham Boudaoui, who is close to a last-minute departure to Monaco, he will reunite with Elye Wahi, whom he faced several times during his spell in the Bundesliga, « Wahi is a great player. I’m happy to play with him », he says.
On the athletic front, the striker wants to be completely reassuring. Treated for his shoulder injury and free of his hamstring problems contracted during the World Cup, the Algerian international (47 caps with the Fennecs, Editor’s note) assures he is at 100% and has no more physical issues. « I’m ready to train and help the team, he affirms, now leaving it to Olivier Pantaloni to choose the best way to use him at the front of Nice’s attack, whether in the center or on a flank.
A choice for stability and Ligue 1
Arriving in the final hours of the transfer window, Niels Nkounkou lands on the Côte d’Azur to take a step forward and bring new energy to the Gym’s left flank. While his arrival follows Melvin Bard’s departure, the 25-year-old player refuses to position himself as a simple successor, « Melvin had very good seasons here, he has the club in him. Me, I’m here to write my own story. »
Despite other requests in France and abroad, the former Marseille youth player quickly prioritized the Gym project and the desire to settle down. After gaining experience in England, Italy and Germany, he was looking for the ideal setting to establish himself in the long term. Seduced by the discourse and confidence of the Nice management, the left-back arrives determined to help the club.
On the pitch, Niels Nkounkou does not hide his preference for a left-back role, a position in which he had excelled during his notable spell at Saint-Étienne. « It’s the position that suits me best today, where I can be most myself on the pitch. »
His integration into the Nice squad should be very quick. He reunites with Morgan Sanson, but especially Elye Wahi, his very close friend met in the French U21 team and then at Eintracht Frankfurt. On the physical front, the new Nice player wants to be reassuring, having followed summer preparation and played several friendly matches with the German team, he says he is already fit and operational. « My preparation hasn’t been cut short, I feel in shape and I’m ready to play whenever the coach needs me », he concludes with ambition.
Nice supporters could discover their two new signings on the pitch as early as this Saturday September 5, during the home match against Le Mans FC at the Allianz Riviera at 8:45pm to try to secure their first win of the season and forget the recent defeat against Paris FC.
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