OGC Nice have completed the signing of midfielder Charles Vanhoutte, who arrives from Union Saint-Gilloise. 

He crossed paths with Les Aiglons on 12th December 2024, bringing a lot of impact and character to the midfield, the battleground of every match. Starting this Monday, Charles Vanhoutte – who will celebrate his 27th birthday on 16th September – will put his talent and energy to work for Le Gym, having signed for the club for the next four seasons. "We needed a player with this profile," explained Florian Maurice, Sporting Director. "Charles is a defensive midfielder, well-balanced, technically gifted and a good set-piece taker, with an incredible attitude. He showed great determination in joining us, just as he does on the pitch. He will obviously contribute on the field, but also off it."

"He has just been called up by Rudi Garcia to the Belgian national team," president Fabrice Bocquet continued. "It's both a logical reward and the start of a new journey for him. We are delighted that this important milestone coincides with his arrival at our club. Charles was an undisputed starter at his former club. He won the Belgian league and cup with Union, playing 54 matches in 2023-24 and 46 last season. He was drawn to our project, with Union set to play in the Champions League this season. That says a lot about his motivation. It's up to him to bring his quality and character to us, and up to us to enable him to continue his rise."

A product of the Cercle Bruges academy, and having also played for Tubize, the Red Devil is about to embark on his first experience outside Belgium, after 106 matches with Union (2 goals, 13 assists), including 6 played in full this season: "I feel ready and determined," he explained. "I am very happy to be joining Le Gym. I can't wait to discover Ligue 1 and my new environment. My goals are simple: I want to fight for the club, for my teammates, for the supporters. It's up to us to do everything we can to be competitive and win as many matches as possible."