Reports suggest that Nantes is prepared to offload several first-team players, including Super Eagles winger Moses Simon, in the event of relegation from the French Ligue 1 at the conclusion of the season.

Nantes currently sits 17th on the league table, just two points behind Auxerre in 16th place. They face already-relegated Angers in their final league game, while Auxerre faces a challenging task against second-placed Lens. 

Nantes must secure a victory to have a chance of staying up, as a draw would leave them one point behind Auxerre, who also require a win for safety.

Although Nantes and Simon had a promising start to the season, with the 27-year-old Nigerian international scoring five goals and providing four assists in his first 13 appearances, both the team and Simon experienced a dip in form. Simon failed to score in his last 20 games, which significantly impacted the team’s aspirations.

If Nantes suffers relegation, reports indicate that a significant number of players could be cleared out, although the number might be reduced if they manage to avoid the drop. 

Players like Ludovic Blas, who is close to joining OGC Nice, and goalkeeper Alban Lafont, who has one year left on his contract but could move to Olympique Marseille, are among those who could depart the club. Other players potentially affected include Moussa Sissoko, Nicolas Pallois, Mostafa Mohamed, Andrei Girotto, and Andy Delort.

Simon himself has one year remaining on his contract and had reportedly expressed a desire to leave the club at the end of the season.