Laurent Nicollin: “We're taking a beating but we've never discussed financially” with Ben Yedder, the president of MHSC discusses the transfer window

Laurent Nicollin et le MHSC seraient prêts à dégainer pour un premier renfort. Midi Libre – MICHAEL ESDOURRUBAILH

Montpellier et son président, qui réfute tout contact avec l’ancien attaquant de Monaco, étudient la venue d’un attaquant et le remplacement du défenseur Maksimovic à l’aube du mercato hivernal.

A media explosion launched the Montpellier transfer window. At the end of last week, the rumour of the recruitment of former Monaco international striker Wissam Ben Yedder, who has been a free agent since June, was mentioned by various media outlets and led to a barrage of criticism in light of his legal troubles.

“It was never a possibility”, firmly denies Montpellier president Laurent Nicollin.

“We're taking a lot of flak, but we've never had financial discussions with Ben Yedder. If every time someone calls to offer a player, we have to justify whether we're taking him or not… I know we're considered a club of morons, worthless people and incompetents, but if we're taking someone, we want a player who is active and present in a club. We are last, we are not going to wait two months before it is competitive”, he argues.

Striker in the sights and sales essential

If Montpellier does not covet Ben Yedder, it is indeed looking for a striker as Jean-Louis Gasset agrees. “We are looking for a player of this type”, admitted the Montpellier technician on Saturday after the defeat in Lyon (1-0).

At the dawn of the transfer window (January 1 – February 3), MHSC has defined its needs to try to save its skin in Ligue 1. Strengthen an attack lacking efficiency (15 goals) and perhaps compensate for the serious injury to Serbian defender Nikola Maksimovic, unavailable until the end of the season. To rework his squad, Laurent Nicollin sets a financial prerequisite: “We need transfers and money in the coffers to allow ourselves to do something”.

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Kouyaté and Nordin on the right track

Wednesday, four days before the reception of Angers at La Mosson, Téji Savanier, posed on a ball, observed the training session alongside coach Jean-Louis Gasset. “Sick”, the playmaker did not take part in particular in the work on set pieces.

&Conversely, defender "Kiki" Kouyaté, who is completing his convalescence after knee surgery, took part in a good part of the session. And striker Arnaud Nordin, absent from Lyon due to a sprained ankle sustained last week, carried out specific work with the physiotherapist. Not far from the full-back Lucas Mincarelli and the young striker Othmane Maamma, closely followed by the staff.

No approach from Rennes for Chotard

If the summer of 2023 had allowed them to bail out with the record transfer of Elye Wahi (€30M to Lens) and Stephy Mavididi (Leicester), Montpellier pocketed nothing during the last summer market. Joris Chotard's contacts with Wolfsburg fell through, while Mousa Tamari, another marketable player, did not have an offer compatible with his European aspirations.

Olympic vice-champion Chotard (23 years old) and Jordanian international Tamari (27 years old), under contract until 2026, remain the most attractive Hérault players.”There are contacts, approaches, but we don't have an official offer,” confides Laurent Nicollin. Neither Rennes, of executive president Arnaud Pouille, who is rebuilding in the middle of the season, nor Hoffenheim have approached him for Chotard.

Maksimovic's injury reshuffles the cards, Bamo Meïté not abandoned

On the lookout for the departure of one of its major players, Montpellier is ready to draw and materialize a first reinforcement. A priori of a striker. But the injury of Nikola Maksimovic reshuffles the cards. The Serbian defender (33 years old), victim of a disinsertion of the hamstring of the right thigh, must cut short his Montpellier experience two months after his arrival and weakens a central defense suspended to the return to competition of “Kiki” Kouyaté. The Malian international (27 years old) is preparing to rejoin the group this month of January after six first months without playing.

“With Maksimovic's injury, we can think about taking someone behind, while Becir Omeragic can also play in the middle”, explains the Montpellier president. If the former Marseille winger or very offensive defender Bouna Sarr, free since his departure from Bayern Munich in July, circulates here and there, Montpellier is targeting another profile.

“If we have to take someone, we will rather hire a stopper, who can play right back”, describes Laurent Nicollin, approached with a view to a loan with an option to buy for Falaye Sacko, eager to leave the club. “(Bamo) Meïté, whom we contacted, has this profile, but OM wants to sell him. You never know what can happen at the end of the transfer window”, finally assures the president of Pailladin, on alert until the beginning of February.

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