The winter transfer window closed on Monday at 8 PM in France. Once again, OGC Nice was not a major player in this transfer market. Engaged in the quest for survival, the Gym officially announced the arrival of only one new reinforcement: Elye Wahi. The Eagles will finish the season with an almost unchanged squad for this month of January.
After a particularly difficult first part of the season, the winter transfer window came at the right time for OGC Nice. It also brought its share of questions and doubts: would the Gym be able to strengthen, while the Niçois were bogged down in the tough battle for survival. At the beginning of January, red and black supporters were expecting a lot, but a few weeks later, uncertainty remains. Claude Puel’s squad has not significantly evolved. The Niçois secured only a single addition, that of Elye Wahi. Struggling at Frankfurt, the former youth international is attempting to relaunch his career on the French Riviera, on a loan deal until the end of the season. The striker’s debut in Nice has been promising, having already scored three goals in his first four appearances under his new colors.
The arrival of Wahi was quickly formalized at the beginning of January. One might have hoped to see OGC Nice make further moves after that. This was not the case. Limited by significant financial constraints once again, the Niçois found themselves with tied hands in this summer transfer window, similar to the last off-season. As the new Aiglons coach, Claude Puel also pulled the handbrake, with a clear and assumed directive: don’t recruit for the sake of recruiting. For the former OL coach, the goal was to keep a reduced group, without stacking players. An internal discussion regarding potential recruitment in central defense took place. The coach from the French Riviera felt that with seven players already under contract (Dante, Youssouf Ndayishimiye, Mohamed Abdelmonem, Moïse Bombito, Juma Bah, Peprah Kojo Opong, and Antoine Mendy), there was no need to recruit in that position.
Puel relies on the return of long-term injured players
Since his return to the helm of the club, coach Puel has consistently emphasized that the return of long-term absentees would be considered as new signings. Ndayishimiye, Abdelmonem, and Bombito—whose absences are now counted in months—are gradually approaching a return to competition. The three defenders will not be out of place in a sector where the Gym does not reign supreme (already 38 goals conceded in 20 Ligue 1 matches this season). The OGC Nice coach will also recover key players, team leaders. Before his cruciate ligament injury at the end of April, the Burundian international often wore the captain’s armband and was one of the pillars of the red and black locker room.
Claude Puel also explored other avenues to strengthen his squad. The Nice coach did not hesitate to draw from the Nice training center, and launched several young players into the big league. In recent weeks, Everton, Kaïl Boudache, Bard-Hamilton Mantsounga, Millan Brignone, Kefren Ali, and Mousslim Youssouf have all crossed the same threshold. They have played their first minutes as professionals, some in Ligue 1, others in the Europa League. The club’s desire to put training at the heart of its project is more illustrated than ever.
The Jérémie Boga – Terem Moffi case unlocked
On the departure side, OGC Nice did not experience significant upheaval within its squad. The club from the French Riviera confirmed the departure of Bernard Nguene to Standard de Liège on a permanent transfer. The young forward, who had already appeared several times in Nice squads under Franck Haise, was no longer in Claude Puel’s plans. Another undesirable, Mattia Viti, will finish the season with Sampdoria Genoa. The Italian had already been temporarily transferred to Fiorentina in this first part of the season. The central defender never imposed himself at Nice and continues a series of loans, with varying success, in his home country.
Finally, the Gym also ended the Moffi – Boga sagas by parting ways with its two attackers. On sick leave for over six weeks, the two African internationals unsurprisingly see their future away from the Aiglons. OGC Nice had clashed with these two players, who hoped for a contract termination following incidents with supporters after another Nice disillusionment in the championship. The first heads to FC Porto, while the second will continue his career with Juventus Turin, with loans with purchase options in both cases. Two high-profile destinations to get the two men out of the rut. Nice supporters are unlikely to remember their time fondly. Far from the turbulence created during their recruitment, Jérémie Boga and Terem Moffi will go down in Gym history for inconsistent performances, questionable personal investment, and somewhat debatable moral standards. One thing is certain, Nice can finally put this story behind them and concentrate fully on sports.
