French centre-back Tanguy Nianzou ends four seasons at Sevilla FC after being transferred to Lille for free. The club incurs a million-euro loss in one of the darkest operations in its history.
Sevilla FC has officially closed the chapter on Tanguy Nianzou, who leaves for Lille without leaving a single euro in the Nervión coffers. The French centre-back, signed in 2022 for 16 million euros as the heir to Jules Koundé, departs the club after four seasons marked by injuries and poor performance.
A free transfer that eases the finances
The operation has been concluded as a free transfer, meaning the Nervión club will have to absorb the 3.2 million euros that remained to be amortised from his signing. However, they are relieved of a significant portion of the nine million euros gross that they still owed Nianzou for the final season of his contract. The defender has waived part of that salary, Lille will take on another part through his new contract, and Sevilla will only face a sum less than half of what was initially due.
In total, the investment made by the club exceeds 50 million euros in salaries and amortisation, a figure that makes Nianzou the most expensive signing in Sevilla's history in terms of total cost. For fans, this farewell brings financial relief, but also the realisation of a failed gamble that affected the transfer market for several seasons.
The heir to Koundé who never became one
Nianzou's arrival at Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán was not just any signing. The summer of 2022 was marked by the sale of Jules Koundé to FC Barcelona. The Frenchman had left an indelible mark in Nervión after becoming one of the best centre-backs in LaLiga and the most expensive sale in the club's history.
The sporting management, then led by Monchi, believed that Nianzou had the necessary qualities to follow that same path. Both, upon arrival, shared youth, enormous physical ability, speed, good ball distribution, and a growth potential that invited optimism. Additionally, having been part of Bayern Munich and trained at PSG reinforced the feeling that Sevilla was once again ahead of the market with a talent destined to flourish.
The club paid around 16 million euros for his signing, with Bayern also reserving a percentage of any future sale. The gamble was clear: develop the player over several seasons and replicate a similar operation to that carried out with Koundé. None of that happened.
Injuries: 580 days sidelined in four seasons
If there was a constant enemy during Nianzou's time in Sevilla, it was his own physique. Since his arrival, muscle injuries began to occur, preventing him from gaining competitive continuity. What initially seemed like isolated problems turned into a constant from season to season.
In total, the centre-back accumulated 580 days sidelined due to various ailments, which prevented him from playing more than 40 matches in four years. His performance on the pitch, when he could play, never reached the expected level, and his presence in the starting eleven was more the exception than the rule.
For Sevilla fans, this farewell leaves a bittersweet taste: the feeling that the club invested heavily in a player who barely managed to prove his worth. With his departure, Sevilla frees up salary space and closes a chapter that will undoubtedly serve as a lesson for future high-risk operations.
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