OGC Nice fought off competition from Premier League trio Southampton, Everton and West Ham United for Terem Moffi while paying a club-record package of around £26.5 million on deadline day, via the Ligue 1 club’s official website.
If this is a sign of things to come for Manchester United in the post-Glazers era, then prepare for a bright future at Old Trafford.
Nice, bankrolled by a certain Sir Jim Ratcliffe, refused to accept defeat in their long-running pursuit of Nigeria international Moffi, seeing a handful of bids rejected by FC Lorient before finally securing a historic deal in the final hours of the window. Nice, their bite as strong as their bark, simply refused to accept defeat in pursuit of their number one target.
“We’re delighted (about) Terem’s determination to sign for OGC Nice” smiles Nice president Jean-Pierre Rivere. “It’s an investment that matches our ambitions.”
Terem Moffi signs for Nice after Everton, West Ham and Southampton links
Moffi joins Nice on an initial loan deal, with an obligation-to-buy. He will replace former Monaco playmaker Sofiane Diop as the most expensive player in The Eagles’ 118-year history. At least, once Nice stump up a sum that even a number of Premier League clubs could not match.
West Ham made a £20 million bid for the one-time Rangers target (talkSPORT); accepting defeat after Lorient refused to budge. Southampton landed the 6ft 7ins Paul Onuachu for around £8 million less than Nice spent on Moffi, while fellow suitors Everton ended the window without a single new arrival to reinforce Sean Dyche’s troubled squad.
“He’s the ideal striker,” Nice sporting director Florent Ghisolfi says of Moffi. “Terem is capable of playing with his back to goal, and running in behind. He’s a modern striker; very pacy and very powerful. He has experience, and he fights for the team.
“He’s capable of making run after run whilst always keeping a cool head inside the box. In Ligue 1, he’s already set the standard. A new milestone awaits him at Nice. He’ll get to play in Europe for the first time in the spring. And (he) will be one of the key men carrying the club’s lofty aims.”
Moffi has 12 goals in just 18 Ligue 1 games this season. Only PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe has more.
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