The offensive lineup is complete after the loan arrival of Younes Belhanda from Dynamo Kiev. The Moroccan international is expected to be the playmaker for the Nice team, which initially targeted Clรฉment Grenier.
A few minutes before midnight, the club from the French Riviera officially announced its ninth and final signing of the transfer window, Younes Belhanda. The 26-year-old Moroccan is returning to France, three seasons after leaving Montpellier, where he was crowned champion in June 2012. The playmaker, who can play on both wings, arrives on loan from Ukraine with a purchase option that could reach 10 million euros.
Champion multiple times
Belhanda started in the south of France (Aramon in the Gard region and then Avignon) before continuing his training at Montpellier HSC from the age of 13. He stayed for 10 years at Laurent Nicollin’s club before answering the call of Dynamo Kyiv. In the Ukrainian capital, he was crowned champion twice (2015 and 2016) with a six-month stint at Schalke 04 between January and June last year. He will bring his high-level experience as he has played 27 European matches (8 in the Champions League and 19 in the Europa League).
A true playmaker
This season, he is expected to be the focal point of Nice’s play, behind the attackers Balotelli and Plea. After securing Dante in central defense, the Nice staff identified a playmaker and a center forward as priorities. Whether in a 3-5-2 or a 4-4-2 diamond formation, Belhanda will be at the heart of the play, boasting impressive passing statistics (36 assists, 11 of which were with Kiev in two seasons). The arrival of the Moroccan international, who has 32 caps (3 goals), has been praised by Ligue 1 specialists, who did not hesitate to commend Nice’s transfer window.
