Leeds United seal deadline day loan for Melvin Bard from Nice with buy option | OneFootball

Leeds United have signed French left back Melvin Bard from Nice on a season-long loan with an option to buy, their sixth addition of the summer.

yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk understands Leeds are paying a €1m loan fee, with €5m set for next summer should they choose to keep him.

The 25-year-old, who can also operate at left-sided centre-back and on the wing, provides competition and cover for Gabriel Gudmundsson. He made 193 appearances for Nice, scoring seven goals and supplying six assists.

Bard came through Lyon’s academy, debuting in a 4-0 win over Nîmes in 2019, and featured 18 times the following season before joining Nice in 2021. In his first campaign at the Allianz Riviera he played 37 matches, scored twice and helped secure fifth place and a Coupe de France final.

He later made eight Europa Conference League appearances as Nice reached the quarter-finals, and added 11 outings in the Europa League. Internationally, he represented France across the youth pathway and played twice at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

Bard’s arrival is expected to be followed by a deadline day move for France under-21s winger Jean-Matteo Bahoya from Eintracht Frankfurt.

Source: yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”