Everton are in hot pursuit of Nice midfield kingpin Jean Michael Seri, according to a reliable journalist.
Guardian Sport’s deputy news editor Ed Aarons reported on his personal Twitter account on Friday that the Toffees are interested in landing the 26-year-old in the January transfer window.
Aarons has claimed that Premier League rivals Manchester City and Chelsea are also keen on the Ligue 1 sensation, who is available for £25million in the New Year, which would be a cut-price fee after a summer move broke down.
Manchester City, Chelsea and Everton are all interested in signing Nice's Jean Seri next month. Ivory Coast midfielder came close to joining Barcelona in summer but now available for around £25m
— Ed Aarons (@ed_aarons) December 22, 2017
Barcelona reportedly tabled a £35.2million bid for the central midfielder last summer, but that was rejected by Nice’s president Jean-Pierre Rivere.
Good move for Everton?
Yes, definitely. Seri is a powerhouse midfielder that has been tipped to make a big-money move since his starring role in Nice’s impressive 2016-17 campaign. He usually plays a shielding role in front of the back four, but also has an attacking edge to his game and has not only chipped in with five assists in 20 games this campaign, but was a goal machine last season, when he netted seven times in 34 league matches, a brilliant record for a central midfielder. He would be a massive upgrade on the options currently available to Sam Allardyce.
This Is Futbol rating 8/10
Likely to happen?
Everton have deep pockets and a willingness to spend. But they are surely well behind the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea in the race to land such a fine midfielder. Maybe Everton’s best hopes are tabling a mega salary and offering Seri a guaranteed starting role.
This Is Futbol rating 4/10