“We are both intelligent” – French star talks up new partnership with Super Eagles striker

The Nigerian international is no longer an unknown quantity in the French top flight as he opens a new chapter in his interesting career

French forward Gaëtan Laborde is convinced he would form a deadly strike partnership with Super Eagles striker Terem Moffi as both look to fire OGC Nice to glory in the nearest future.

Terem Moffi quit FC Lorient on the last day of the winter transfer window to join Nice on an initial loan deal with an option to sign permanently in the summer for a club-record 30 million euros.

The Super Eagles striker is one of the most prolific forwards in the French Ligue 1 with 12 goals and it is not surprising that he has walked straight into the starting lineup at the Allianz Riviera.

Interestingly, Moffi’s arrival at Nice could see former Rennes ace Gaëtan Laborde lose his spot in the team or be shunted to the flanks to accommodate the Nigerian.

But the ex-France youth international, who only joined Nice last summer, believes he has the qualities to complement Moffi.

What has been said? 

“He’s (Moffi’s) always smiling and seems very happy,” Laborde said, as per Ouest-France.

“I don’t see him as individualistic. I feel that we are somewhat in the same state of mind, that we will try to work for each other.

“He has a different profile: he’s very strong, he’s able to keep the ball with his back to the game, to take the depth. As we are both intelligent players, there is a way to do something good.

“I’m lucky to be able to play on the whole front of the attack: on the side, on the right, on the left, in the point or as a second striker team have two players capable of playing together and scoring.”

After two matches, Moffi is yet to score his first goal for OGC Nice even as the Eagles have recorded victories in both games. The 24-year-old striker played from start to finish as Nice ran out 3-0 winners over Ajaccio on Friday night.