OGC Nice are edging closer to signing Atalanta forward Jeremie Boga, although they have yet to reach an agreement with the Serie A club over a suitable transfer fee.
French news outlet RMC Sport reports that Nice have reached an agreement on personal terms with the player, and all that remains is to find common ground with Atalanta.
Nice have already had an opening bid worth around €14 million rejected for the 26-year-old forward, who has fallen out of favour at the Gewiss Stadium.
Atalanta are open to parting ways with Boga this summer, but they are holding out for a €20m bid and have refused to budge on their asking price.
Boga has previously been linked with a move to the Premier League amid interest from Bournemouth and Leicester City.
Leicester were considered the front runners to capture the Ivorian’s signature, but their relegation to the Championship has significantly hampered their chances of finalising the transfer.
Bournemouth has also been active this summer, but the Cherries do not consider Boga a priority target, leaving Nice home free in the race for his signature.
While the Ligue 1 club currently have no rivals in their quest to sign Boga, they still need to agree a transfer fee with Atalanta, who are looking to recoup close to the €22m they paid Sassuolo for the winger last summer.
The former Chelsea academy man endured an unremarkable spell with La Dea last season, registering just two goals and five assists in 25 appearances across all competitions.
Despite his paltry statistics, Nice manager Francesco Farioli is a huge fan of Boga, having worked with the forward at Sassuolo when the Italian manager was an assistant to Roberto De Zerbi.
Atalanta are currently facing a fight to hang on to their breakout star Rasmus Hojlund who has emerged as a primary target for Manchester United.
The Premier League giants are huge admirers of the Danish youngster but are unwilling to match Atalanta’s demands. However, talks are still ongoing between both clubs.
