After a successful Copa America, the transfers of Quebecers to Europe continue. After Ismaël Koné with Olympique de Marseille, Moïse Bombito joins his compatriot in France.
The Canadian international defender and the Colorado Rapids officially agreed terms with Ligue 1 side OGC Nice on Monday. The transfer fee is estimated at €7 million according to insider Fabrizio Romano, and Bombito has signed a four-year contract, until 2028.
The Rapids, for their part, only confirmed that it was “an MLS record for a player in this position.” The club also stated that it would receive a portion of the proceeds from a future resale.
PHOTO KATIE STRATMAN, USA TODAY SPORTS ARCHIVES PROVIDED BY REUTERS
Moses Bombito
“Moses has had an exceptional season for club and country,” said Colorado Rapids President Pádraig Smith. “His impressive performances in recent months have shown he has the potential to reach the pinnacle of his sport, and his journey is a testament to his character and hard work. Moses’ development exemplifies our club’s commitment to identifying and developing the best young players and we wish him the best in his future career.”
This is an excellent first post-MLS destination for the 24-year-old Montrealer. Nice qualified for the next Europa League last year, by virtue of its fifth position in the French championship standings.
Bombito made his MLS debut in 2023, with the Rapids. That was also the year he appeared on the Canadian team’s radar. But it was under Jesse Marsch, this spring and summer, that the Quebecer shone the most. Marsch started him for friendlies against the Netherlands and France, then for the entire Copa.
After this successful tournament, it was only a matter of time before the defender received calls from Europe. According to Fabrizio Romano, Olympique Lyonnais as well as RB Salzburg, in Austria, have also been interested in the Quebecer in recent weeks.
In 2024 in MLS, Bombito appeared in 18 matches (17 starts), for 1547 minutes in total, and scored two goals.