Amoura closes in on Ligue 1 in a surprise deal

Who is he?

Nice are closing in on a marquee attacking signing in the final hours of the transfer window. The French club have moved for Algeria international Mohamed Amoura, and the Wolfsburg forward could hand them a major boost before the window shuts.

According to French outlet "Foot Mercato", the last few hours have brought notable progress in talks between Nice and the parties involved in Amoura's move. The deal is not yet done, but the negotiations are heading in a positive direction.

The move follows a busy window for Nice up front. They have already added Jonathan Gauthier Hein and brought in Elye Wahi on loan with a 15 million euro option to buy. Even so, the club's management want one more attacker, and they see in Amoura a player who can add pace and menace in front of goal.

Their interest is something of a surprise. The Algerian forward, capped 48 times by his country, barely featured in French transfer market chatter until the talks suddenly accelerated.

At 26, Amoura brings solid European experience. He joined the German league on loan in the summer of 2024 before making the switch to Wolfsburg permanent a year later. Last season he scored 8 goals and supplied 3 assists in 33 matches, all during a difficult campaign for his side.

Rival clubs are circling too. Both Udinese and Marseille had shown interest in his services, which turns any deal in the closing stage of the window into a race against time.

What makes Amoura fit Nice's needs is a clear set of attacking attributes: pace, a threat from distance and a ruthless streak in front of goal. Those qualities made him one of Algeria's most potent weapons in the African World Cup qualifiers, where he scored 10 goals.