Charles Vanhoutte

Key strength: Ball retention

Deep-lying playmaker

In a season of turbulence for OGC Nice—languishing in 15th place with just one win from their last five matches—Charles Vanhoutte has emerged as their immovable cornerstone. The 27-year-old Belgian defensive midfielder has been virtually ever-present, amassing an extraordinary 3,061 minutes across 40 appearances while wearing the number 24 shirt. His stat line of one goal and four assists barely hints at his true influence. Operating as a deep-lying playmaker with metronomic precision, Vanhoutte has been the architect of Nice's rare moments of control, recycling possession with calm authority while chaos swirls around him. His discipline borders on the miraculous: just a single yellow card across those 40 outings, a testament to his intelligence and positioning. At a €6 million valuation, Vanhoutte feels criminally undervalued for a player who has become the beating heart of a struggling side. In a campaign defined by inconsistency, he offers the one thing Nice can truly count on.