Inside Ramsey's Nice adventure as ex-Premier League stars make stuttering start

Premier League fans raised their eyebrows in August when Aaron Ramsey completed a surprise move to French side Nice.

Many critics expected the Welshman, 31, to return to English football after his release from Juventus, yet he was sold the dream by Nice's billionaire owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Ramsey wasn't the only one, either, as Kasper Schmeichel, Ross Barkley, Joe Bryan and Nicolas Pepe all left the Premier League to enjoy the south of France's glorious sunshine.

Ratcliffe, who's shown an interest in buying Manchester United, wants to transform Nice into a top European side that can compete for honours. His company Ineos completed a takeover of the club in July 2019 and they've done OK so far, achieving two fifth-placed finishes in Ligue 1 and reaching the Coupe de France final last term - losing 1-0 to Nantes.

Slow start to the season

Nice were hoping to kick on this term after attracting the likes of Ramsey, yet it's not going to plan - winning just three Ligue 1 fixtures. Lucien Favre's side are also battling to stay in the Europa Conference League, as they've won only one of their first four group games.

Right now, Nice are closer to the relegation zone than leaders Paris Saint-Germain. Yet Ratcliffe has no plans to slip into the second tier. "I think the vision of this club is to be able to compete at the highest level as quickly as possible," Ramsey told Mirror Football.

"When these projects start, it takes a little bit of time to get things in motion and get the momentum going. I have no doubt that this club will be competing at the highest level, qualifying for the Champions League and being able to compete for the league against Paris Saint-Germain, Marseille, teams like that.

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"It is going to be a matter of time. I have spoken to a lot of people here and they are all on-board and want to head in the same direction. It is an exciting place to be."

Nice's Premier League cohort

Nice acted late in the transfer window to sign the aforementioned players. Pepe and Bryan were brought in on loan from Arsenal and Fulham respectively in the final week of August, and Barkley was snapped up in September when his Chelsea deal was cancelled.

Schmeichel was arguably the most surprising acquisition. At 35, many fans expected him to finish his career at Leicester after winning four trophies - including the Premier League title and FA Cup - and playing more than 400 league games for the club. Yet the Denmark international also opted to join Ratcliffe's revolution just days before the season started.

Ramsey is enjoying the experience of playing in a different environment - away from the glaring spotlight of the Premier League and Juventus. He also believes Barkley and Bryan - the two other British players in Nice's squad - have settled in well at the club.

"It's been good, I've had the chance to go out and see around a little bit," he explained. "But I think everything - the way the club is set up, the people involved - makes that easier.

"Obviously it helps as well that there are a few other British lads over here. So it's been really enjoyable but the vision of this club is to be competing against the top teams in Europe very quickly. So hopefully there will be a lot more attention here."

When asked if he's enjoying the local pubs and bars loved by tourists, Ramsey laughed: "No. Just having a look around. Going round the old town - going to some local little coffee shops, some restaurants, walking along the beach. Stuff like that.

"Everything is pretty close - you can be in the centre of Nice or you can be on the beach within five minutes. So it's very easy to get around, have a look and mingle in."

On how Barkley and Bryan have settled in, Ramsey added: "Obviously, I've experienced playing abroad before, so I am a bit more used to that. Those players that you just mentioned [Barkley and Bryan], it's probably the first time they have done it.

"Even though I'm trying to settle into a new club too, I've tried to help them. But they've settled in really well. We've spent a bit of time together in the dressing room and outside. They're all good lads, who have settled in really well."

The Pepe factor

Although Ramsey, Schmeichel, Bryan and Barkley are all established professionals, there's a feeling that Nice's hopes of silverware could hang on Pepe's form. The Ivory Coast international, 27, was signed by Arsenal from Lille for a whopping £72million in the summer of 2019 after scoring 22 Ligue 1 goals for Lille during the previous campaign.

Pepe struggled during his three-year spell at the Emirates - scoring just three goals last season - but has enjoyed a bright start to his Nice career. He's already found the net three times in Ligue 1 - including a last-minute equaliser against Nantes on Sunday evening.

"I think Nico has done well," said Ramsey. "He's very sharp, a very explosive player. He's scored a few goals already. Hopefully, he can continue to keep producing and scoring goals for us. He's going to be an important player this season and, hopefully, we can help bring the best out of him."

Ramsey to play key role

Ramsey's contract at Nice will expire at the end of the season, yet he wants to be at the heart of their rise under Ratcliffe. The former Arsenal midfielder struggled with injuries during his time at Juventus - playing just 49 Serie A games - but is now fit and raring to go.

"I feel good when I'm playing. I feel I can still affect games, my stats suggest I still have one of the top physical outputs in the games," said Ramsey. "So all these things haven't taken any hit or anything.

"It's just about staying fit, getting consistency, and I feel like I can still perform at the top level and compete. So I've no consideration, thinking about the day that I'm going to retire or anything like that yet. I still think there's many more years left for me and I can keep performing and playing at the top level."

Ramsey went on to say: "It has been very enjoyable [at Nice] so far. There has been a big change here with the manager and his staff and the players who have come in. I think everybody is excited and trying to take this club to the next step.

"A lot of things are happening off the field as well. It is a very exciting time. I am enjoying it, I am enjoying playing again, getting some minutes under my belt, playing in some big games so hopefully can keep this up and contribute more."

On meeting Ratcliffe, Ramsey said: "I have spoken to Jim and I have been very impressed with his ambition for this club. It is going to be a collective effort. We are very happy to be here and representing Ineos and Nice and hopefully we can take this club on a journey."

Whether Ratcliffe can fulfil his ambition of helping Nice become a European power remains to be seen, yet their summer business suggests the French side are heading in the right direction. Ramsey's enjoyed a stellar career to date, but the best may still be to come.

BT Sport is the exclusive broadcaster of France's Ligue 1 Uber Eats this season. For more info, visit btsport.com

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