Why Watford and Cardiff failed to sign Nice ace in January

Adrien Tameze has revealed he opted against leaving Nice in January due to his close relationship with head coach Patrick Vieira.

The 25-year-old was first targeted by Watford before Cardiff attempted to prise the defensive midfielder away from Nice towards the end of the winter transfer market.

Both were keen on signing a new midfielder last month and Cardiff eventually swopped for Reading’s Leandro Bacuna in a deal worth £3.5m.

Tameze has emerged as a first-choice midfielder under Vieira this season and he has revealed the Frenchman was one of the main reasons he didn't leave last month.

“I wasn’t expecting it,” he told Nice-Matin, via Sport Witness. “It surprised me that it happened so quickly. It’s nice to know that people are following you but I wanted to have a full season with Nice.

“I also wasn’t sure if I’d have a good relationship with another manager elsewhere. It really made me think. I spoke to the manager about the situation. It was a first for me. He really helped me get back on track. He said the right things.”

Tameze, who signed for Nice in the summer of 2017, has started every league game for Nice this season and only one team-mate has spent longer on the pitch.

However, only Teji Savanier (47) and Benjamin Andre (41) have been dribbled past more times than the Nice No.5 (37).