Liverpool are the latest side to join the race to sign midfielder Jean-Michael Seri, according to various reports. Seri has attracted interest from all around Europe after some excellent performances in the French league this season for Nice.
Manchester United and Chelsea are all looking at the Ivory Coast central midfielder, with Liverpool the latest club to enter the fray, as per the Mirror. Seri was set to join Barcelona last summer but that deal fell through, while Paris St. Germain have been unable to sign him due to Financial Fair Play restrictions.
The report, however, adds that United are leading the race to sign the highly-rated Ivorian, who has a €35m release clause in his Nice contract, which has 18 months left to run.
Seri’s performances with Nice seem set to spark a scramble for his signature this summer, with Manchester City also poised to join the chase. The Ivory Coast international favours a move to the Premier League, and while the Red Devils lead the race for his signature, Liverpool could well hijack the deal.
The Reds need a player in this position with Emre Can’s future looking bleak. The player could leave Anfield at the end of the season and club captain Jordan Henderson has been really injury prone of late.
Can’s contract expires at the end of the season and it is believed that the German won’t extend his contract, with Juventus tipped to sign him for free. Jurgen Klopp doesn’t want to wait until summer to find Can’s replacement and could move for Seri, with £142m cash available after selling Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona earlier this month.
Klopp is eyeing a top-class midfielder to fill the hole and other positions that need to be strengthened in January. We have already spent £75m on Virgil Van Dijk, and Seri is believed to be next on our wish-list.
Seri is so versatile that nobody really knows what his best position is. He can be used as a deep-lying playmaker and also as a box-to-box midfielder. He is thought of as a hard-working, dedicated and a humble character who has had to graft his way into the big time after initially failing to make a mark at FC Porto.
If we succeed in getting him on board, it would be a massive signing for us, especially after we failed to bring Naby Keita this month. A midfield partnership of Keita and Seri? That could be solid!
