Who is the Nice man Premier League clubs should be looking to snap up?
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We’re just under three weeks away from the re-opening of the transfer window, and while a whole host of Premier League clubs are desperately trying to add some fresh legs to their ranks, there’s one name that should be at the top of everyone’s wish list.
Step forward, Jean Michael Seri.
The French midfielder has been in exceptional form so far this season, and has played a key role in Nice’s incredible start to the campaign in Ligue 1.
Right now, they sit comfortably at the top of the table, some four points clear of reigning champions, Paris Saint-Germain.
But we’d be looking at a whole different table if we were to take away Seri’s impact this season.
He’s already chipped in with two goals and a staggering eight assists – more than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues, and that makes this by far Seri’s best season to date.
The 25-year-old arrived at the French outfit from Paços de Ferreira for just £850k last summer, and has featured in every league game since.
But such have been the quality of performances from Nice this campaign, it’s only now that clubs are starting to take notice of the Cote d’Ivoire international.
Similar in size to Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante, the central-midfielder is incredibly accurate in his delivery, completing exactly 90 per cent of his passes so far this season, while creating 34 chances for his teammates.
In fact, he would have arguably been a better replacement for Leicester City, who sold Kante to the Blues in the summer for £34m. Instead they opted to sign Seri’s former teammate, Nampalys Mendy.
But the two may just reunite in January, with Claudio Ranieri looking to add depth to his midfield as the Foxes attempt to balance domestic and European football in the second-half of the season.
As things stand, Seri is valued at £5.95m, but don’t be fooled by that cheap price tag. Nice don’t need to sell, and demanded almost double Mendy’s market value from the East Midlands outfit back in the summer.
Couple that with the world-class performances the 25-year-old has been churning out on a regular basis, and it’s thought Leicester would have to smash their current transfer record, which stands at £16m, to land their man.
But, with money seemingly no object for top-flight clubs in England, the reigning Premier League champions could face stiff competition from clubs up and down the country for Seri’s signature.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
