Nice announce first three signings of Ineos era

Nice have ushered in a new era on the French Riviera by completing the signings of Kaspar Dolberg, Alexis Claude-Maurice and Adam Ounas.

The trio are the first new arrivals since Nice were officially taken over by British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe earlier this week.

Who is Nice’s new British owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe? Five key things to know…

• Ratcliffe is Britain’s third richest man and owns the chemical company Ineos.
• Reports claim he offered £88.77m to buy Nice earlier this year, while also being linked with Chelsea.
• Ineos completed their takeover of Nice this week.
• The company also owns Swiss second division side Lausanne.
• Outside of football, Ineos owns the Team Sky cycling team and is a backer of Britain’s America’s Cup sailing team.

Ratcliffe’s company Ineos has acted quickly in the transfer market after taking control of Nice just days before the European deadline.

On Thursday the club confirmed a €20.5m deal for Dolberg, who joins from Ajax, while Claude-Maurice has arrived for a reported €14m fee from FC Lorient.

Danish forward Dolberg, 21, has signed a long-term contract with Nice after helping Ajax win the domestic double in Holland and reach the Champions League semi-finals last season, scoring 12 goals across all competitions.

Subscribe to Squawka’s Youtube channel here.

Claude-Maurice, a France Under-20 international, was named in the Ligue 2 Team of the Year last season. The 21-year-old has also signed a long-term deal with Nice.

On their official website, Nice said Dolberg “embodies both the future and the present” of the club, while Claude-Maurice’s move is seen as the “next logical step for this up-and-coming playmaker”.

And Friday brought the signing of Ounas from Napoli on a season-long loan, with an option to buy next summer.

Et puis, surtout… #IssaNissa 🔴⚫ pic.twitter.com/3gvrYJgrQY

— OGC Nice (@ogcnice) August 30, 2019

Dolberg and Claude-Maurice could debut for Nice when Patrick Vieira’s side face Rennes in Ligue 1 on Sunday, though it may come too soon for Ounas.