Speaking to Nice-Matin, OGC Nice sporting director Florent Ghisolif said that retaining Khéphren Thuram (22) and Jean-Clair Todibo (23) was the club’s best bit of business during the summer transfer window.
Nice didn’t spend big this summer. Jérémie Boga arrived for a reported €18m fee, Aliou Baldé arrived from partner club Lausanne-Sport, whilst Morgan Sanson and Romain Perraud joined from Aston Villa and Southampton respectively. Both Frenchmen were signed on loan.
However, to the surprise of many, Les Aiglons’ managed to retain their two most prized assets: Thuram and Todibo. Both had been expected to leave. The former garnered considerable interest from Liverpool, whilst the latter was notably a target for Manchester United. According to reports from RMC Sport, the French defender was the heir apparent to Harry Maguire, who ultimately remained at Old Trafford, despite interest from West Ham United.
Ghisolfi has now reflected on the importance of retaining the pair for another season. “It was the priority to manage to keep them, and in the end, it’s our best bit of business. We are in the presence of players that love the club, who see themselves taking another step forward with the club. They also benefit from stable entourages. There was lots of communication between all parties and I want to also thank the owner, who afforded us this possibility,” he said.
GFFN | Luke Entwistle
