Super Eagles winger Moses Simon was a shining light for Nantes in the 7-1 annihilation they suffered at the hands of Monaco over the weekend.
The 29-year-old supplied the assist—his seventh of the season—as Nantes succumbed to their worst defeat of the season.
This term, the Nigerian has been the brightest spot in an otherwise underwhelming campaign for Antoine Kombouaré and his Nantes team.
With five goals and seven assists, he is undoubtedly one of the best in Ligue 1, as he also tops the assist rankings in France alongside Rayan Cherki of Lyon and Joao Neves of Paris St Germain.
Big fish in a little pond
It's clear that Simon is a big fish in a small pond, and one might wonder if he should have looked elsewhere when he had offers coming his way.
He arrived at Nantes from Spanish side Levante, initially on loan, before making the move permanent in 2020.
At Levante, he managed just one goal and one assist, but it was the move to France that saw him come into his own.
Now in his fifth year with Nantes, Simon boasts the best goals/offensive average of anyone in the Nantes squad at the moment.
When fit, Simon is usually the first name on Kamboure's team list because of his pace and tireless running that enables the team to open up opponents and create chances or score them himself.
In 139 games so far for the club, Simon has contributed to 73 goals, averaging a goal or assist every 2.5 games—a remarkable feat for anyone in the current squad.
With a bevy of clubs in England and Germany seeking his signature, Simon elected to stay in France, a decision he said he made because of the proximity of his family's home in Belgium to Nantes.
Does Simon's talent deserve a bigger stage?
Simon, a thoroughbred family man, might have taken the route to a bigger club to fulfil his potential, but he decided to repay Nantes' loyalty by extending his contract with the club until 2027.
At his peak, the winger is unplayable, and he was arguably the best player in the group stages of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations with his mesmerizing displays for the Super Eagles, as the team went 3-0 in the group stage but eventually lost to Tunisia in the Round of 16.
Although he has been hampered by injuries of late, there is no denying that his talent deserves a bigger platform than Nantes.
The “Yellow and Greens” are currently in 15th position in the 18-team Ligue 1, with 21 points from 21 games, which sees them, for the second season in a row, fighting for their top-flight status.
When his contract expires, Simon will be 31, which might be too late for a major top-flight club to take a gamble on him.
While his talent is undeniable, the question still hangs around if Simon has fulfilled his potential, or if he will, at his age, at Nantes.
Even though the winger insists he is content with how his career has progressed so far, one can't help but imagine that it could have gone much better, considering his immense talent.
Despite having played in two major European leagues—Ligue 1 and La Liga—his form this season might present him with his last chance at a move to a bigger club.
