Nathan Zézé was pursued by Villarreal, with the opportunity to play in the Champions League. However, he ultimately decided to join NEOM in Saudi Arabia. According to L'Equipe, Nantes reached an agreement with NEOM for the transfer of the 20-year-old French defender for a record fee of over 20 million euros, marking the most expensive sale in the club's history. Despite interest from Villarreal and Premier League clubs, Zézé accepted a highly lucrative contract offer from Saudi Arabia, foregoing the chance to play in the Champions League.