No more gambles at OGC Nice. While the Côte d'Azur club has made a name for itself in recent seasons by giving great players such as Mario Balotelli, Hatem Ben Arfa and Wesley Sneijder another chance, the recruitment policy has changed on the Côte d'Azur with the arrival of the new owner, INEOS.

"This is no longer our project," revealed President Jean-Pierre Rivère. "At the time, we had less means. We were trying to make deals with players in difficulty who could perhaps bounce back and return to their best. We had a lot of success. But today, the project is different."

A clear project

OGC Nice is now turning to a longer-term project, with the recruitment of young players with high potential selected to fit in as well as possible with Le Gym's new policies - players who will help the club grow as they develop. The end of the last summer transfer window began the trend, with the arrival of young talents Alexis Claude-Maurice (22) and Kasper Dolberg (23 in October).

A strong project, therefore, with one objective: to install Les Aiglons in the upper reaches of the Ligue 1 Conforama table.

"Our goal is to recruit players who will be part of the project over several years, elements that will help us grow and be in the top five on a regular basis," explained Rivère. "A Dolberg, in the past, we would have been sold this year or next year. Now we want to keep our best players."

Atal to stay

A guideline that will apply to Youcef Atal. Despite a season cut short by injuries (13 games, one goal and one assist), the 24-year-old Algerian starlet is being watched by many clubs. But Rivère is not worried, stating categorically: "We want to keep him, and we will keep him".

With a strong project, plenty of ambition and the means to achieve it, Nice are looking set for a sizzling summer transfer window!