Nigeria striker Moffi joins French league club Nice

Nice signed Terem Moffi on Tuesday after beating southern rival Marseille for the prolific Nigeria striker on the final day of the transfer window.

Nice said Moffi, who joined from French club Lorient and has been one of the best players in the league this season, signed a loan deal with a obligation to make the deal permanent.

“We’re delighted that Terem’s determination to sign for OGC Nice, combined with our own, has led to this outcome,” Nice president Jean-Pierre Rivère said. “It’s an investment that matches our ambitions.”

The 23-year-old Moffi arrived in the French league in 2020 after stints in Lithuania and Belgium. He scored 35 goals in 90 matches with Lorient. Moffi’s 12 goals this season put him second in the scoring chart, one behind Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappé.

Marseille was interested in signing Moffi, with the striker set to be part of a reported swap deal that would see Bamba Dieng sign with Lorient. The Senegal forward did sign a four-year deal with Lorient last week, but Moffi opted for Nice.

Nice said Moffi could start as soon as Sunday against Marseille, which turned its focus toward Braga striker Vitinha.

According to newspaper L’Equipe, the 22-year-old Vitinha, who was also courted by Southampton, flew to the French port city Tuesday to finalize a deal with the 1993 Champions League winners.

Bidding for a Champions League birth next season, Marseille already reinforced its midfield with the arrival of Morocco international Azzedine Ounahi from Angers. Ounahi has excellent dribbling skills and an attacking profile likely to fit coach Igor Tudor’s vision.

Meanwhile, PSG was reportedly putting the final touches on a deal with Chelsea for the transfer of Hakim Ziyech.

PSG has been struggling since the start of the new year, with two defeats in its last four league matches, and is looking to add creativity in midfield. Time is ticking for the Qatari-backed team whose ambition is still to win the Champions League for the first time. It hosts Bayern in the first leg of their round-of-16 match in the Champions League on Feb. 14.

Hoping for a boost after a so far disappointing season, seven-time champion Lyon signed Botafogo striker Jeffinho until the end of June 2027. Lyon said the transaction was worth 10 million euros ($10.9 million), with possible add-ons of up to 2.5 million euros ($2.7 million) depending on the club’s results and the player’s performance.

The 23-year-old Jeffinho scored twice in 24 games for Botafogo in last year’s Brazilian topflight. His arrival came a day after Lyon signed another forward, Swedish youth international Amin Sarr, in a move aimed at compensating for the departures of Karl Toko Ekambi and Tete.

John Textor, who in December completed his takeover of Lyon, is the majority owner of Botafogo.

___

More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports