Chelsea will face competition from both Manchester City and Arsenal to sign Jean Michael Seri, and the Blues must win the race for the Ivory Coast international.
What's the story?
According to Nice-Matin (via GFFN), Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal have all ‘made enquiries” for the Nice midfielder, with Chelsea’s interest considered to be the most serious.
The report says the Blues approach has already been underway “for a couple of weeks”, and Nice are expected to want €40m (about £35m) to part with the wiry midfielder.
Arsenal are on the hunt to buff up their midfield ranks, with at least one of Jack Wilshere or Aaron Ramsey expected to leave at the end of their contracts and Unai Emery wanting some more energy to enforce his high tempo pressing.
Manchester City meanwhile are looking at alternatives to their main target Jorginho, as Napoli’s hunt for a replacement has stalled, potentially forcing Pep Guardiola to look elsewhere.
If Chelsea are serious about getting back into the top four and title race then they cannot miss out on a £35m deal for such a talented midfielder.
The perfect fit?
The 26 year-old Seri is quite similar to Liverpool-bound Naby Keita, in that he can do a little bit of everything, and doesn’t really have any glaring weaknesses in his game.
The Nice midfielder had a sensational 2016-17 season, and has got even better in the last 12 months, even drawing interest from the likes of Barcelona.
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Averaging over two key passes and one dribble per game, Seri’s ability to break the lines would help Chelsea unlock teams when the onus is on them to attack, something they have struggled with at times under Antonio Conte.
His pace and ball carrying ability means he is also a perfect fit for when the Blues sit back and counter attack, so he really is the best of both worlds.
Perhaps Seri’s best trait is his fearlessness – he is never afraid to try a difficult pass, something that will get fans off their seats at Stamford Bridge.
This is not to say he is careless in possession though, as despite averaging 2.1 key passes and 5.3 long balls per game, he still boasts an incredible 90 per cent pass success rate, and completes nearly 90 passes per game.
With Cesc Fabregas turning 31 this year, Chelsea are on the hunt for their new pass master, and Seri could be the perfect fit. With 16 Ivory Coast caps, a midfield consisting of Seri and the impenetrable N’Golo Kante would be a force to be reckoned with.
So, Chelsea fans, would you like to sign Seri for £35m? Let us know by voting in the poll below…