MLS
OGC Nice target LAFC forward Denis Bouanga
The French side are said to be interested in the LAFC forward, who has had another stellar season.
One of the best teams in France’s top flight are OGC Nice, who currently sit in second place in Ligue 1 and are Paris Saint-Germain’s closest league rivals. The French side are looking to strengthen their squad for the second half of the European campaign and have set their sights on LAFC star Denis Athanase Bouanga.
The player, who has become the main man of the Los Angeles franchise, won the Golden Boot for the 2023 season in Major League Soccer and stepped up in critical moments for Steve Cherundolo’s team. However, it could now be time for him to return to French football to give depth to OGC Nice’s squad.
Nice offer LAFC’s asking price of $10m
L’Équipe report that Italian coach Francesco Farioli has the arrival of an attacker in mind to provide them with alternatives up front. It is estimated that the club, led by Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS, have put an offer of $10 million dollars on the table, which is the amount that LAFC would expect to receive to let the French-Gabonese player leave.
All this comes due to the situation that Nice are going through: they must let Jérémie Boga go to the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations with the Ivory Coast National Team, so the left winger spot in their typical 4-3-3 system will be free and Bouanga could fit perfectly there. According to OneFootball, the Black & Gold player was present at Nice’s win over Lens (2-0).
Is Carlos Vela leaving LAFC?
Given the uncertainty over a possible departure of Carlos Vela, the departure of Denis Bouanga would be a huge setback for the MLS runners-up ahead of the 2024 campaign. Although they have signed some players in attack, losing the goals and assists of the Franco-Gabonese would represent a dramatic drop in terms of output of the MLS side.
As for Vela, the latest is that both the player and club are negotiating a new deal, but nothing has been signed so far. That leaves the player’s future up in the air, with LAFC’s all-time top scorer possibly on his way out. A statement from the club read: “The Club is in talks to retain McCarthy, Maldonado, Gaines, Leone, and Rosales as well as free agents Carlos Vela, Diego Palacios, Kellyn Acosta, and Max Crépeau.”