OGC Nice can confirm that four first-team players have reached the end of their stays with Les Rouge et Noir. While Joe Bryan’s and Nicolas Pepe’s loan spells have come to their conclusions, Ross Barkley’s contract has expired, whereas Andy Delort has completed a permanent move to FC Nantes.

Having joined on loan from Fulham in the winter transfer window, Joe Bryan made 10 appearances for Le Gym, scoring one goal (in the 1-1 draw away to Partizan Belgrade in the UEFA Europa Conference League group stage) and providing one assist (in the 2-1 defeat to 1. FC Slovácko, also in the UECL).

A fellow Premier League club loanee – this time from Arsenal – Nicolas Pepe scored eight goals in the first half of the season before being hampered by a knee injury. He leaves the Côte d’Azur with a total of 28 games under his belt (19 in Ligue 1, eight in the UECL and one in the Coupe de France).

Ross Barkley, meanwhile, made just as many appearances as the Ivory Coast international. After arriving on a free transfer, the ex-Chelsea man only featured in league fixtures, with the Liverpool native scoring four goals and providing two assists.

Finally, Andy Delort’s option to buy was automatically triggered by the confirmation of Nantes’s Ligue 1 survival. Before joining Les Canaris in the winter transfer window, the striker played for Les Aiglons for a season and a half, scoring 25 goals in 55 games and picking up the 2021–22 Aiglon of the Season award.

Everyone at OGC Nice would like to wish them the best of luck for the rest of their careers.