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Prejuce Nakoulma wants immediate Nantes exit - sources

JEFF PACHOUD/AFP/Getty Images

Burkina Faso striker Prejuce Nakoulma is keen on an immediate exit from Nantes and has requested a transfer from the club, according to reports in the French press.

L'Equipe have reported that the relationship between Nakoulma and the club's management is uneasy, and that the 30-year-old has asked to be allowed to leave the Canaries.

"I'm not enjoying the start of the season because we've lost two matches," the forward told journalists, as per France Bleu. "I'm also not enjoying it from a personal point of view.

"Anybody could be on the bench," he added. "The coach knows what he's doing, it's not my place to criticise his decisions."

Nakoulma was signed from Kayserispor in January, and enjoyed a strong second half of last season, scoring six goals in 11 outings to endear himself to the Nantes supporters.

He also impressed with Burkina Faso at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, scoring against Gabon in the group stage and Tunisia in the quarterfinal.

However, despite starting Nantes' opener - a 3-0 defeat at LOSC Lille - Nakoulma has been overlooked by Claudio Ranieri, sitting out the last two matches.

Nantes have improved since that opening defeat - and a 1-0 home loss against Marseille - to beat Troyes 1-0 away on Saturday, despite the dismissal of Nigeria defender Chidozie Awaziem.

Nakoulma, who previously represented CF Ouagadougou, Gornik Zabrze and Mersin Idman Yurdu, is under contract at Nantes until 2019.