OGC Nice returning to pre-INEOS transfer strategy? | OneFootball

Prior to INEOS’ arrival in 2019, OGC Nice were a club that spent little but spent well. Their transfer strategy was, for a time, the envy of many clubs in Ligue 1, with Le Gym succeeding in picking up bargains across the continent. INEOS’ arrival, naturally, changed that. The club were able to spend big, and they did.

The likes of Kapser Dolberg, Terem Moffi, Sofiane Diop, Jérémie Boga, and Calvin Stengs, to name but a few, all came in for big money. In INEOS’ first season, Nice spent over €50m – an unprecedented figure at the club. However, INEOS’ attention has since been diverted.

Last February, INEOS became a stakeholder at Manchester United. With Le Gym and the Premier League side both competing in the UEFA Europa League last season, INEOS had to detach from one of their clubs, as per UEFA’s multi-club rules. INEOS, therefore, had no involvement at Nice last season. It could be the same next season, should Manchester United beat Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final on Wednesday night. Le Gym will compete in the Champions League qualifiers, having secured a fourth-place finish in Ligue 1.

‘You have to recruit smartly, but it is Nice’s DNA’ – Bocquet

Regardless, with INEOS’ main focus elsewhere, the strategy has now changed at the French club. Speaking on Ici Azur, the club’s CEO, Fabrice  Bocquet, said that the club “can invest”, however, for now, the high fees are a thing of the past. “Fees between €10m-15m? I think these figures are probably too high. We didn’t do that last year. In total, on all the players, we invested less than €18m,” added Bocquet.

He continued, “If you spend that kind of money on one player, you limit yourselves in terms of getting others. So you have to recruit smartly, but it is Nice’s DNA – we have often functioned like this and we have had good results.”

GFFN | Luke Entwistle