OGC Nice Fire Sale: Laborde, Boga on the Chopping Block as Club Eyes Youth Movement

The Ineos Shakeup: By the Numbers

When billionaires start playing Football Manager with real clubs, you get situations like OGC Nice’s current roster purge. According to L’Équipe, the Riviera club is undergoing radical surgery under British ownership - and the scalpel is coming for some big names first.

High-Priced Departures

• Gaëtan Laborde: At €32k weekly (€35k if they made Champions League), this forward is pricing himself out of France. Only Qatari side Al-Duhail showed January interest - which tells you everything about his market.
• Jérémie Boga: The winger’s €22.5k/week salary became unjustifiable when his minutes dried up post-winter. At 26, he still has suitors… just not in Nice’s plans.

The Big-Ticket Items

Here’s where it gets spicy:

Evann Guessand (€40m valuation) The Ivorian striker is Nice’s golden goose after 8 goals last season. But here’s my analytics take: that price tag assumes he’ll replicate form outside Favre’s system. Fenerbahçe came sniffing, but England or Germany seem more likely destinations for this raw talent.

Marcin Bułka (€20m ask) The Polish keeper refusing to extend his expiring contract is classic FM2024 behavior. Galatasaray wants him despite his apparent disdain for the Turkish Super Lig. For €20m? That’s starter money for a guy with 1 year left - someone’s getting fleeced.

Youth Injection Strategy

While dumping veterans, Nice is promoting:

• Gabin Bernard (19): Unknown quantity from lower leagues
• Gibryel Coulibaly (16): Teen sensation jumping straight to senior football

Analyst’s Verdict: This feels less like Moneyball and more like cost-cutting disguised as vision. Selling your two most valuable assets (Guessand/Bułka) while keeping no European football revenue? Risky business without proper reinvestment plans.