Meet Tanguy Nianzou, LOSC's latest revenant
LOSC continue to prepare for a return to the Champions League with a busy mercato -- join us for a look at their latest signing, French defender Tanguy Nianzou.
A bright start at PSG
Much as they have in recent windows, LOSC have looked to the services of players with experience in Ligue 1 McDonald's to boost their squad. After the likes of Thomas Meunier, Nabil Bentaleb, Aïssa Mandi and Olivier Giroud, Les Dogues have continued that signing with central defender Tanguy Nianzou. But while that quartet are all north of thirty, Nianzou -- who came through the Paris Saint-Germain academy is just 24, and hungry to reset his career after time abroad.
Born in Paris to Ivorian parents, it didn't take long for Nianzou to make an impression with the capital side, debuting in the Champions League in 2019 after having impressed at youth level for his country and winning the club's 'Titi d'Or,' an award for the best young player. He would go on to feature more than a dozen times in that COVID-shortened season as PSG won the treble and reached the final of the Champions League, but after failing to agree a professional deal, he left for Bayern Munich.
Tanguy Nianzou is back to Ligue 1 with Lille! 🔙🥹 pic.twitter.com/66G6AemEtU
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) July 21, 2026
Injury struggles abroad and the chance to get things back on track
But where countrymen like Benjamin Pavard, Dayot Upamecano and Michael Olise have impressed in recent seasons, Nianzou found life in Bavaria somewhat difficult. Nagging injuries meant he played just six matches in his first season there, and while he would feature more in the following campaign, the arrivals of first Upamecano and then Matthis de Ligjt meant his opportunities would become limited.
Still just 20, he moved to Spain, joining Sevilla. While not in the same bracket as the German giants, they were European regulars, and had a strong tradition of bringing through French players, with Clément Lenglet, Jules Koundé and Loïc Badé among the players to have burnished their reputations there.
However, after making 30 appearances in his first season as the Andalusians won the Europa League, he would make barely more than that over the subsequent three combined, facing competition for places and a series of hamstring injuries. Thus, with Mandi and Meunier both having moved on this summer, he is ready to fight for his place under new manager Davide Ancelotti.
Speaking in his introductory press conference, Nianzou underscored his motivations in signing for the club for reason both competitive and familiar, saying, "I believe LOSC is the ideal club for the next stage of my career and offers the perfect environment for development. The most important thing for me is to regain my full confidence and a smile on my face, get playing time, and thereby help the team win... ...I am also happy to be returning to France—the country where I was born and where I learned the game."
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