Recent reports are suggesting Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is looking at launching a bid for OGC Nice midfielder Jean Michael Seri, should he become available.
According to ESPN, Seri is not currently available but could be if Nice fail to qualify for the Champions League group stages.
Nice have been pitted against Eredivisie side Ajax, with their first fixture finishing at 1-1, with the Dutchmen picking up a crucial away goal.
If Nice qualify to the Champions League group stages, however, there will be less incentive for Seri to move to a club that will not feature in the competition.
Jean Michael Seri has been a productive player since arriving at Nice for €1 million in 2015, joining from Portuguese Primeira Liga side Paços Ferreira.
In 72 Ligue 1 appearances, Seri has managed to score 10 goals and a further 15 assists, all while playing in the heart of midfield.
He is a strong mover of the ball, completing 89.5% of all attempted passes last season – averaging 83.4 successful passes per match.
He makes around 2.2 key passes per match for Nice, who finished 3rd in the league, and 4.7 passes are considered to be long balls.
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He makes tackles when necessary and will intercept opposition passes to retain possession and make good use of his strong passing ability.
The Ivory Coast international, capped 14 times for his country, is just 26 years old and is valued at around €14 million according to Transfermarkt.
Arsenal have plenty of central midfielders, such as Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil and even Jack Wilshere is still with the team, but the club also often find themselves struggling with injuries at various points during the gruelling Premier League season.
With Arsenal set to feature in four competitions next season, including the league, FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League, bringing in a player of Seri’s quality could provide Wenger with plenty of rotation options to keep the team fit throughout the campaign.
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So far, Wenger has brought in Alexandre Lacazette and Sead Kolasinac to bolster his squad, but the midfield is the heart of the team and having some talented reinforcements could go a long way to turning the club’s fortunes around.