Nice land an experienced midfielder
Axel Witsel is set to get his first taste of Ligue 1 at 37. The Belgian midfielder has reached an agreement in principle with OGC Nice, according to L’Equipe, with Foot Mercato reporting the update this afternoon. The deal is now nearing completion.
Witsel has been a free agent since his Girona contract expired in June. No transfer fee is needed, which matters for a club keeping a close eye on the books.
France’s top flight is one of the few major leagues the Belgian has yet to play in. He has also represented Benfica before his spell in Spain.
Try it for $0.99.
Abergel injury forced their hand
Laurent Abergel has suffered a serious injury and will miss several months of action. Nice were suddenly left short in midfield.
The club moved quickly. Witsel ticks the boxes for this kind of emergency signing: available now, hardened at the top level, and ready to slot straight in without much of a settling-in period.
Nathan Ngoumou could arrive in the same window. Foot Mercato say his signing is also wrapped up. Two very different players, one clear aim for Nice: bulk out the squad before the market shuts.
140 caps and a World Cup on the CV
Witsel has 140 caps for Belgium. That number tells you plenty about the man without needing a long sales pitch. He featured at the last World Cup with the Red Devils, who were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Spain, losing 2-1.
But hold on. Nothing has been signed yet. An agreement in principle is not the same as a contract on the dotted line, and the summer window has a habit of throwing up late twists.
Discover the rest of the football news on our mathodds website and app!
in your pocket.
Real-time notifications & alerts
Leave a Reply