Arsenal ahead of Chelsea, Liverpool for €40m Ligue 1 dynamo
Arsenal are leading Liverpool and Chelsea in the race to sign Nice midfielder Jean Michael Seri, according to reports in France.
The Ivorian midfielder came close to joining Barcelona last summer before the LaLiga giants instead opted to sign Paulinho, but remains a man in demand with the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United both considering moves.
However, it is Liverpool who were thought to be leading the charge, with Reds boss Jurgen Klopp said to be looking at Seri as a possible midfield partner for Naby Keita next season.
But L’Equipe claims Arsenal have moved ahead of their Premier League rivals by meeting with the player’s agent to discuss a possible move after signalling their intent to meet his asking price.
Seri has a €40m exit clause in his Nice contract so the fee is unlikely to put Arsenal off.
Confirming the exit fee in his contract, Nice president Jean-Pierre Rivere told RMC SPORT last month: “Seri has a €40m clause. At that price, he’ll be free. Without it, we don’t have the intention to sell him. Even if people don’t take clauses seriously in France, they deserve some respect. If a club offers €40m for Seri tomorrow, he’ll go.”
Liverpool are meanwhile thought to be considering a move for Amadou Diawara, while his Napoli teammate Jorginho thought to be another option.
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