Rivere determined to keep rising star

Nice President Jean-Pierre Rivere says the club have no plans to allow right-back Youcef Atal to leave the club in the January window. The Algeria international has been attracting plenty of attention with his efforts in the south of France, with the likes of Tottenham previously being linked with the player’s services.
Nice, who are currently down in ninth place in the Ligue 1 table after nine games, have no plans to allow Atal to leave the club.
Rivere says if the player does move on to pastures new, it will only be to a European giant, while he also proceeded to have a thinly-veiled dig at Newcastle United, who managed to lure Allan Saint-Maximin from Nice to St James’ Park over the summer. “Atal will not leave this winter. And I will even tell you it is not anticipated that he will leave next summer. Our aim is to bring in talented youngsters, grow them, improve them,” Rivere told RMC Sport (via GFFN). “And without lacking respect for anyone, it is not to then sell them to Newcastle or clubs like that, no, we keep them with us. “Aside from that, if one day clubs like Real Madrid or Bayern Munich come, then it will be difficult to keep them. But the aim is not to be adopting a policy of trading players around.”
Nice are back in action on Friday night when they welcome reigning French champions Paris Saint-Germain to Allianz Riviera.