OGC Nice are reportedly considering a move to appoint Scott Parker as their new manager after former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino rejected the chance to take over the French club.
According to Foot Mercato, the recently-sacked AFC Bournemouth coach is on Nice’s shortlist to replace Lucien Favre, with the Swiss manager set to be dismissed by the Ligue 1 side after a dreadful start to the new campaign despite a big summer of heavy spending.
As per the report, Pochettino had been the favourite to replace Favre at Nice, however, the Argentine manager has turned down the opportunity to return to management in France, with the club now turning their attentions to the likes of Parker, who could be up for the role.
The English coach, who was a star for Tottenham during his playing days though never player under Pochettino, has impressed as a manager for the likes of Fulham and Bournemouth, winning promotion to the Premier League with both clubs from the Championship, and 41-year-old might be open to a change of scenery with Nice.
The French club, owned and heavily backed by British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, signed some big-name players this summer in the form of Ross Barkley, Aaron Ramsey and Nicolas Pepe on-loan from Arsenal, and for Parker, managing in France could be an appealing challenge for the Englishman.
Indeed, with Pochettino now rejecting the role, Nice will want to appoint a new manager soon, and Parker, who was only sacked from Bournemouth this month, might be open to a quick return to football, with the French Riviera side more than big enough to be considered a step-up for the former Cherries boss.
Nice appointing Parker would be an exciting move for all parties
Parker has established himself as an exciting young manager in the game, and whilst many agree that his sacking from Bournemouth was harsh given their fixture list and the lack of funding the club had in the summer to make signings, moving to Nice would be quite the move for the English coach.
After all, Nice are a top club competing in Europe with a sensational squad on paper, and Parker could thrive in a new environment surrounded by players who also experiencing life in France for the first time, such as British talents Ramsey and Barkley as well as former Leicester City captain Kasper Schmeichel.
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