Juventus are preparing an offer of about €8m for OGC Nice midfielder Xavier Junior Mandza Tsiendi, having maintained their interest in the 17-year-old Gabon international.
The Italian club previously made an approach worth an estimated €3m before Mandza Tsiendi signed his first professional contract with OGC Nice in July. According to L’Equipe, Juventus are now ready to make a renewed attempt to persuade the French club to sell one of the most highly rated players to emerge from its academy.
No formal second offer has yet reached the desks of OGC Nice’s directors. However, Juventus’ continued pursuit has been confirmed, with the Serie A club considering a proposal close to €8m for the teenage midfielder.
OGC Nice are understood to have a firm position on the player’s future and do not want to part with him. The club regards Mandza Tsiendi as the biggest talent produced by its youth system, despite the fact that he has not yet made his senior debut.
Internally, OGC Nice value the midfielder at almost €40m. That valuation is significantly higher than the €8m figure Juventus are considering and underlines the scale of the financial challenge facing the Italian club if it is to secure a deal.
Mandza Tsiendi is under contract at OGC Nice until 30 June 2029. His long-term agreement gives the French club a strong negotiating position and allows it to protect an important investment in the player’s development.
The Gabonese midfielder’s professional contract was signed in July, after Juventus had already shown an interest in acquiring him for an estimated €3m. The Italian side’s planned offer would therefore represent a substantial increase on its initial approach, although it would still fall well short of OGC Nice’s internal valuation.
For now, Juventus’ interest has not resulted in an official new bid. OGC Nice remain determined to retain Mandza Tsiendi, whom they consider central to the future of the club, while Juventus assess whether a significantly improved proposal can change that stance.
The midfielder has yet to appear for the OGC Nice first team, but his reputation within the club has made him a target for Juventus. Any attempt to take him to Italy is likely to require a considerably greater financial commitment than the offer currently being prepared.
