North London side Arsenal have reportedly joined the race to land Ligue 1’s latest revelation Jean Michael Seri as Arsene Wenger aims to beef up his central midfield options going into a comparatively hectic fixture with Europa League football on offer.
After a poor season in the league, which saw the Gunners finish out of the top four for the first time in manager Arsene Wenger’s era, the club seems to have straightened their backs with a serious transfer window coming up. Undoubtedly, Arsenal have one of the most bountiful squads in the league with little changes and additions needed here and there.
And one of the most crucial areas that Arsenal are short on potential is their central midfield. With the likes of Santiago Cazorla, Aaron Ramsey and Granit Xhaka, Wenger surely has some of the best players in that area; but in Francis Coquelin, Jack Wilshere and Mohamed Elneny, they also have a pretty inconsistent and injury prone core of players.
The manager has repeatedly expressed his decision to lighten up the squad, which has some really unnecessary players in it eating up much of the wage structure. And Coquelin and Wilshere are among the likely departures Arsenal are eyeing in the summer. The club has been linked with many big names in that position in the past two weeks, but they have found themselves encountering either astronomical prices or fierce competition.
Their search for the perfect midfielder, who could provide perfect cover to Granit Xhaka, has now taken them to Seri. The OGC Nice midfielder has been one of the most vibrant players at the middle of the park last season, with yet again numerous clubs like Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Tottenham Hotspur and more keeping tabs on him.
The 25-year-old Ivory Coast international has managed seven goals and nine assists last season, and for a defensive minded midfielder, the figures look quite impressive. Seri has been an engine for Nice last season working tirelessly throughout and his superior technical prowess only makes him more special.
An academy product of Ivory Coast side Africa Sports, Seri moved to ASEC Mimosa in 2010. It was followed by a loan stint with FC Porto’s junior side before FC Paços de Ferreira bought him in 2013. Nice took him in 2015 and he has been an established member of the side since then.
Moving to Nice was a big step in his career as it earned him his first national cap in September 2015. He has played 18 times for the country since then, scoring one time. Serie A side AS Roma is understood to have already placed a £17.5 million for the player, but the club has rejected it.
