Lavezzi links news to Nice boss Favre

Nice head coach Lucien Favre is "surprised" to see his club linked with former Paris Saint-Germain forward Ezequiel Lavezzi.

The Argentina international left Ligue 1 to join Hebei China Fortune in February but is purportedly a loan target for Nice when the mid-season transfer window opens.

Favre told Le Figaro he did "not know" anything about such a move but praised the 31-year-old's talents.

"He's a good player," he said. "There was Paris, of course, but I remember his period with Napoli. He was good."

Nice are three points clear of Monaco and PSG at the top of Ligue 1 heading into this weekend's matches and host Bastia on Sunday.

Their form this season has been helped by the arrivals of high-profile signings Dante and Mario Balotelli, although the latter is currently sidelined with a calf injury.