Another promising talent has come to the limelight in Europe and again it is the two clubs of Manchester who are reportedly locking horns to secure his services. The player in question here is Nice midfielder Jean Michael Seri. City is reportedly way ahead in the chase for the player’s signature who is valued at around £35 million. He could well be on his way to England this January.
The Ivory Coast midfielder is a star player at the French club and has played over 100 games since his move back in 2015. He was linked heavily with a move to Barcelona but the Catalans pulled out at the last minute. It seems now that the player is on his way to Manchester with Pep Guardiola keen to add him to their roster. A player with an engine to run for 90 minutes he would certainly shape the City midfield for years to come.
He will fit into the team perfectly as an exciting player with the likes of David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Leroy Sane and more. Moreover, Pep’s system of football will see the Brazilian take up the role of a fulcrum in the team. He is expected to be a long-term replacement for the impressive Fernandinho in the squad.
Moreover, with Yaya Toure now ageing and Ilkay Gundogan clearly not the defensive player to shield the backline, Fred will have a crucial role to play in City’s Guardiola era should he come to the Etihad.
However, his game time will not be guaranteed in his first few spells especially with Fernandinho in such good form. Hence his move to Manchester City will no doubt see him spending plenty of time on the bench, something he cannot afford to do at this point in his career. Moreover, in Nice, he has found a steady place in the team and staying put for at least another season might help his case as he will certainly get regular game time there.
The final complication of the deal will be the fact that Guardiola’s men will have to fend off interest from fellow title challengers like Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool and spend around £35 million to land the player.
However, the player will still be of great interest to the chasing clubs as he is one of the players who will not be cup-tied in the knockout stages of the Champions League.
