Neal Maupay featured on OGC Nice shortlist before Marseille move | OneFootball

Luke Entwistle reporting from Nice

Neal Maupay (28) came through the ranks at OGC Nice, making his competitive debut for his formative club back in the 2012/13 season, however, he wouldn’t remain with Le Gym for long, joining AS Saint-Étienne in 2015 after having made 53 appearances in that time, scoring nine goals.

Whilst his adventure at Les Aiglons did not end in the way he would have liked, he has continued to express his love for the club, even alluding to a potential return to his former club. With the Frenchman looking for an escape route from Everton this summer, a path had seemingly opened up.

However, it wasn’t to be. Not only did Maupay not join Nice, he joined their arch-rivals, Olympique de Marseille on loan. The two teams will face off in the Derby de la Méditerranée on Saturday. It could have been different, however, as Le Gym sporting director Florian Maurice revealed.

“Maupay was one of the options we considered,” admitted Maurice. “Financially, we couldn’t find an agreement, but he was on the list.”

Club President Jean-Pierre Rivere added, “Neal is a guy that I like a lot. Financially, it wasn’t possible for us; it wasn’t the right timing.” As a result, Maupay will line up against Nice on Saturday, not with them.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle