French Club Nice Puts Entire Squad Up for Sale to Rebuild After Struggles

French Ligue 1 club Nice, one of the league's respected teams, has taken the unusual step of putting its entire playing squad up for sale following a difficult season. The club narrowly avoided relegation, finishing with just 32 points and seven wins. Owned by Jim Ratcliffe, who also holds a stake in Manchester United, Nice recently appointed former player Roger Riquet as sporting director in a bid to revamp the team.

The club aims to raise around 50 million euros to finance a rebuild. While they have already signed midfielder Laurent Abergel, who is not for sale, all other players remain available for transfer. The current squad is valued at approximately 144 million euros. Notable players listed include former Maccabi Tel Aviv player Rares Ilie, Algerian Hicham Boudaoui, Frenchman Soufiane Diop, veteran Jonathan Clauss, and former Porto player Terem Moffi. Seven Nice players are currently participating in the World Cup.

This strategic move reflects the club's urgent need to restructure after several challenging seasons and to improve its competitiveness in French football.