St Etienne were beaten by Nice to the signing of Everton midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin, it has been revealed.

The Frenchman signed for OGCN last month and was presented to local media yesterday.

However, Le 10 Sport says ASSE were in talks with Schneiderlin's minders for several weeks, but couldn't convince him about the move.

It's reported ASSE couldn't meet the personal demands of the 30 year-old, which allowed OGCN to step in with an offer closer to what Schneiderlin was seeking.

"It was the best project if we returned to France. With Nice, I knew exactly where I was going," said Schneiderlin yesterday.