Speaking ahead of OGC Nice’s encounter with Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday, Terem Moffi (23), who joined the club in January, said he was “never close” to joining Mediterranean rivals Olympique de Marseille.
Moffi, at FC Lorient at the time, was at the centre of a transfer tug-of-war in January. L’Équipe reported during the window that the Nigerian international was intent on joining Les Aiglons, despite interest from other sides. A notable rival for his signature was Marseille.
According to L’Équipe, Marseille had a player-plus-cash deal for Moffi accepted by Les Merlus. Whilst Bamba Dieng, the player involved in that deal, did ultimately make the switch, Moffi did not, and he instead joined Nice. It was reported that Pablo Longoria even travelled to Lorient to convince Moffi to join, but to no avail.
There was also interest from Premier League clubs, but Moffi eventually got his way at the end of the window, and his move to Nice was concluded. He joined on loan until the end of the season, in a deal that included an obligation to make the deal permanent.
Moffi, in a press conference, transcribed by France Bleu Azur, has now revealed that he was never close to joining Les Phocéens. “The transfer was more dragged out than foreseen. You can’t control everything and I felt relieved when I signed with Nice. I was never close to Marseille. I made my decision very quickly,” he said.
Since joining in January, Moffi has five goals in nine games for Nice, who could yet win silverware this season, with the club still competing in the UEFA Europa Conference League.
GFFN | Luke Entwistle
