Geoffrey Moncada, David Wantier and Bruno Cheyrou among Nice targets for sporting director | OneFootball

According to L'Équipe, Nice have restarted their search for a sporting director to replace the departing Florian Maurice after Grégory Lorenzi’s U-turn, with Geoffrey Moncada, David Wantier and Bruno Cheyrou as priorities.

Friday’s play-off second leg against Saint-Étienne follows a 0-0 first leg and will shape budget and aims, though planning continues.

Despite secret talks between Ineos and an American fund over a possible sale, the line is to act as if no sale is imminent, make savings and prepare for deeper cuts if relegated to Ligue 2.

The appointee must offload leading earners, rebuild on a sales-led budget and make survival the only realistic target. With Jean-Pierre Rivère due to leave at season’s end, Maurice Cohen is running the search, and any sale could force a swift exit.

Moncada, 39, formerly of Monaco, is available after a fresh wave of dismissals at AC Milan, where he helped sign Rafael Leão and Theo Hernandez. Initial contact has been made and Cohen has sounded out Wantier.

Wantier, 52, is sporting director at Auxerre, who secured safety by overtaking Nice. He fits the brief but it is unclear he would move, and he is travelling to China to meet the owner.

Cheyrou, 48, has held no club role since November 2023 when he was dismissed by OL, and now works for FIFA as a senior player development manager and a Canal+ consultant. Cohen has yet to table a written offer, and a return for Roger Ricort, 67, as adviser is not excluded.

Source: L'Équipe