Nice have signed Belgian midfielder Axel Witsel
Nice have completed the signing of veteran Belgian midfielder Axel Witsel on a free transfer, with the 37-year-old passing a medical ahead of the new season.
Witsel has put pen to paper on a one-year deal at the Allianz Riviera, with the option of a further season, bringing to Ligue 1 a player with 140 caps for Belgium and memories of the 2018 World Cup semi-final run with the country’s celebrated “Golden Generation.”
Speaking after completing the move, Witsel said it was an honour to join a club he had long followed, revealing there had been contact between the two parties a few years earlier. He said conversations with club officials and the coaching staff convinced him Nice was the right fit, adding that he still feels physically sharp and mentally fresh, and arrives with humility and a determination to help the team push for a strong season and return the club to where it belongs.
The midfielder spent last season with Girona in Spain, making 32 appearances, before featuring for Belgium at the World Cup, where he played in the last-16 defeat to the United States and the quarter-final exit to Spain.
Witsel’s career has taken in spells at Standard Liège, Benfica, Zenit Saint Petersburg, Tianjin Quanjian, Borussia Dortmund and Atlético Madrid, as well as his most recent stint at Girona.
Club president Morris Cohen said the club were delighted to welcome a player of Witsel’s quality and winning mentality, noting that he had shown a clear desire to join Nice even with other offers on the table, and said he would become one of the squad’s leaders.
Sporting director Roger Ricourt praised Witsel’s remarkable career, pointing to his four World Cup appearances in 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026 as proof he can still compete at the top level. He described the midfielder as a versatile figure with extensive experience across the back line, combining physical strength, ball-winning ability and sharp reading of the game.
Ricourt added that the club would lean on Witsel both on the pitch and in the dressing room, with hopes he can pass on his experience to the squad’s younger players and help drive the group forward.
