Terem Moffi joins Nice from French rivals Lorient

Nice, France, Jan 31, 2023 (AFP) - Nigerian international striker Terem Moffi has joined Nice from their French Ligue 1 rivals Lorient, the club announced on the last day of the January transfer window on Tuesday.

Moffi, 23, has signed for Nice initially on loan until the end of the season when the transfer will become permanent with the striker signing a contract to 2027.

Different sources say Nice will pay a fee of 25 million euros ($27.1m) plus a possible five million euros more in bonuses, making Moffi their record signing.

Moffi, who used to play in Lithuania and Belgium, has scored 12 goals in Ligue 1 this season, a tally bettered only by Kylian Mbappe, who has 13 for Paris Saint-Germain.

He had also been a target in the January window for Marseille and clubs in the English Premier League.

His departure from Lorient follows that of Dango Ouattara, the Burkina Faso winger who was sold to Bournemouth for a reported 27 million euros.

Moffi's signing is a statement of intent by Nice, who currently lie in mid-table in Ligue 1 but have ambitions of challenging at the top of the standings under their owners Ineos, the group chaired by Monaco-based British petrochemicals billionaire Jim Ratcliffe who bought the club in 2019.