Football: with the departure of Andy Delort, Montpellier prepares its attack site
To face a possible departure of the duo Delort-Laborde, Montpellier thinks of the ex-Marseillais Valère Germain. Another project in sight for ODO.
After Delort? The void echoes the confidence placed in him by President Laurent Nicollin. If the transfer to Nice is confirmed, Montpellier will lose an attacker, a goalscorer, a captain. And an emblem that leaves the people of La Paillade looking towards the future stadium pale in advance.
Olivier Dall’Oglio, the new coach, will have two projects on his hands instead of one. « I knew there would be the legacy of Vito (Hilton) to manage. There may be another legacy we will have to work on « , he breathed at the end of Sunday’s success in front of Lorient (3-1). The technician, who is working on rebuilding his defense around the Sakho-Thuler duo, therefore anticipates the renewal of his attack.
Everything is clear. If Gaëtan Laborde, courted for many months by the English of West Ham, and recently by the Spaniards of Sevilla FC or even Lyon, is also leaving, Montpellier will recruit a new striker. « If Laborde is the only one to leave, he will not be replaced. If Laborde and Delort leave, we will take a new attacker », warned Laurent Nicollin.
Dall’Oglio: « A complete player like Andy »
Dall’Oglio and Montpellier have views. And a clear vision of the profile of the future center-forward. « We watch everything that’s going on. We need a complete player like Andy. He can play down, take depth and be skilled in the head game. », refined Dall’Oglio.
Alerted by Delort’s change of agent, and his summer procrastination, Montpellier has been probing for a long time Valere Germain. In recent days, he has reportedly reached an agreement for a three-year contract with the 31-year-old Marseillais. Free from any contract with OM (2017-2021), this altruistic center forward had asserted himself in Monaco (2011-2017), his training club, but was fully revealed during his loan to Nice (2015- 2016). Alongside Hatem Ben Arfa, he had scored 14 goals in Ligue 1.
The son of Bruno Germain, European champion with OM, could have a double legacy to assume. That of the Delort-Laborde pair. « The relationship that Andy has with Gaëtan cannot be bought, but built », warns Dall’Oglio. Their complicity without make-up, nor trompe-l’oeil is thus encrypted. 31 goals and 18 assists last season.
« I don’t imagine a waterfall (departures). The players are under contract « , Dall’Oglio cut. The name of midfielder Jordan Ferri, linked until 2023, has been whispering around Nice since the start of summer. The former Lyonnais has John Valovic-Galtier as his agent. The same as Christophe Galtier and Andy Delort.
