Victor Orakpo: OGC Nice's next no.9?

Times are changing at OGC Nice, with a greater emphasis now on player development. Victor Orakpo, highly rated at the club, could be one of the biggest benefactors of the change in strategy.

From bright lights of Bayern to Ligue 2 BKT

Orakpo joined Nice back in January 2024. He joined from Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, who rated him highly. In those opening months, Orakpo excelled, banging in the goals with great frequency for Nice's reserve side.

However, first-team chances haven't always been forthcoming. The following season, he would play just five games for the first team but accumulating just 48 minutes. In order to get more game time, it was decided that the Nigerian forward would spend the 2025/26 season out on loan.

The key was for him to maximise game time and so it was decided that a stint in Ligue 2 BKT would be beneficial. He would join Montpellier HSC, but once again, game time was hard to come by. He would play 16 games in the first half of the season, and whilst he would score three goals in two games in the Coupe de France, his impact in the league was limited.

As a result, he spent the second half of the season at AS Nancy-Lorraine, where he failed to score in his eight appearances for the club. His time out on loan did not prove to be a roaring success, however, he returns to his parent club this summer with a point to prove.

All three have recently extended their contracts until 2028:

🖊 Evann Guessand
🖊 Victor Orakpo
🖊 Antoine Mendy

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 🔴⚫ pic.twitter.com/UE5OI2gvFv
— OGC Nice 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@ogcnice_eng) August 27, 2024

He returns to a different Nice. There have been plenty of changes. There is a new sporting director, a new manager, with former Lorient head coach Olivier Pantaloni now in the role.

But more crucially, there is a discernible shift in the strategy at the INEOS-owned club. Speaking to the club's channels earlier in the summer, Julien Sablé, the director of Nice's academy, spoke about the shift.

"Today, our role is clear: develop good players but, above all, give them room [to develop] and accompany them on their journey [...] developing players is our mission, teaching them to win is the next step," said Sablé.

Orakpo to take Wahi's place?

On Nice moving up two places in the academy rankings, Sablé added, "It is a positive thing. The objective is to be in the top six. When we arrived, we were outside the top 10. We have finished ninth and seventh in the past two years. It shows an evolution and a progression [...] we are progressing collectively and we have the ambition to go even further."

In light of the change of emphasis, Orakpo could be a player to benefit. There are places in the forward line-up for grabs, given that Elye Wahi's successful loan has come to an end.

Pre-season will be crucial for Orakpo, and he has started in a good way, netting in a 4-0 pre-season win over Nimes-Olympique. A physical forward, also adept at running in behind, he has a versatility and a variety to his game that, utilised correctly, could be an asset to Nice and Pantaloni going into the upcoming Ligue 1 McDonald's season.

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