Leicester City, Southampton, Tottenham and Arsenal have all been linked with Ivorian midfielder Jean Michaël Seri in recent weeks, but just who is the OGC Nice star, and what can he bring to the Premier League?
Here are six points that will get you up to speed…
6. The Journey of Jean Michaël Seri
Unless you’re an avid fan of Ligue 1 football or a passionate Paços de Ferreira supporter, you’ll be forgiven for not hearing the name Jean Michaël Seri before.
The Ivorian midfielder had his first stint in European football with FC Porto’s B team in 2012, making 13 appearances for the Portuguese side before moving to Porto based, Liga NOS side Paços Ferreira on a free transfer in 2013.
Seri played a total of 54 league games for Paços Ferreira in two years, making six Europa League appearances also.
In 2015, Seri completed his move to Ligue 1 outfit Nice for less that £1m.
5. A Goal Scoring Kante
Seri is very much a modern day, box-to-box midfielder. He has all the athleticism of PFA Player of the Year N’Golo Kanté, but possesses much more of an obvious attacking threat than the Chelsea midfielder.
The Ivorian has been involved in 15 goals in his 36 appearances for Nice this season, five times the amount of goals that Kanté has been involved with at Chelsea.
4. One Season Wonder?
At 25, Jean Michaël Seri is in his prime. For a midfielder that is only now breaking onto the European circuit, clubs could see a deal that would cost anywhere between £25m-£35m as a huge risk.
In just two years, Seri has established himself as a key component in the OGC Nice midfield. When you look at the development of N’Golo Kanté during his two years in the Premier League, clubs may be tempted to spend the money to secure the Ivorian’s signature in hope of a similar outcome with the Ligue 1 midfielder.
3. Underrated Set-Piece Specialist
As well as being an ideal box-to-box midfielder, Seri also poses a threat from set pieces. Seri’s looping free-kicks and corners have offered a fantastic outlet for Nice this season.
Nice captain Paul Baysse and striker Alassane Pléa have benefited from Seri’s delivery this campaign, and his dead-ball ability is a huge reason as to why Nice are just six points away from AS Monaco at the top of the Ligue 1 table.
2. A Danger From Distance
Jean Michaël Seri may not be building a reputation as a man with a fierce long-shot, but the midfielder has shown consistently that he can be a threat outside of the box.
The most impressive part of Seri’s shooting ability from distance is his accuracy with his first-time shot, his most notable example of this came in a 2-0 victory against Lyon.
Seri collected the ball on the half-way line, and after brilliant distribution out wide, Seri put himself in a fantastic position to collect the loose ball, which he dispatched superbly.
1. Perfect for the Premier League
Jean Michaël Seri has been one of the best performing midfielders in Europe this season, so to see him linked with a move away from Nice is no surprise.
Very much a ‘jack of all trades’ midfielder, Seri offers cover in defence and an outlet for attack.
Whether Seri can perform at the level of Tottenham or Arsenal hasn’t been decided yet, but for Leicester and Southampton Seri would prove to be a fantastic addition and will help push them onto the next level.
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