Reports: Arsenal to beat Barcelona for €41m midfielder's signature

What's the story?

Arsenal are all set to clinch a deal for OGC Nice midfielder, Jean-Michel Seri, according to a report in French news outlet, L'Equipe. The Gunners are all set to beat the likes of Barcelona, Roma and rivals Tottenham Hotspur to the Ivorian's signature, after reportedly triggering the release clause of the midfielder, set at €41 million euros. Arsene Wenger is in the market for an all-action midfielder and after an exceptional campaign with Nice last season, Seri fits the bill.

In case you didn't know...

Dubbed the 'African Xavi', Seri came to the fore last season for Nice, as the midfielder was instrumental in the Riviera club's 3rd place finish behind champions AS Monaco and Paris St-Germain in Ligue 1. The Ivorian clocked 3342 minutes on the pitch for Lucian Favre's side, racking up 7 goals and 9 assists in 39 appearances in the 2016/17 season. His performances led to interest from a whole host of top European clubs.

The heart of the matter

Seri had already made clear this summer that he would find it hard to turn down a move to Barcelona, in an interview with Spanish news outlet El Mundo Deportivo. However, Barcelona consider the fee asked by Nice to be too much to pay for what they consider their backup option in midfield and have prioritzed a move for Marco Verrratti instead.

The Ivorian was close to agreeing a move to Roma as well, after being scouted by new director of football, Monchi, but Seri's wage demands of €3 million a season ensured that the transfer broke down at the last moment.

Nice boss Lucian Favre has already made it clear that he will not let Seri leave, saying "Seri? He stays, that's definitive. We've lost four starting players. That's enough. It's not easy to replace them." However, Arsenal may make that issue a moot point by triggering Seri's release clause, while also having the financial muscle to satisfy the midfielder's wage demands, notwithstanding their other transfer targets.

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Author's Take:

In case you had any doubts about Seri's quality, take a look at this:

? Le match dans le match ?Jean Michael Seri ?? Marco Verratti#StatsLigue1#OGCNPSG pic.twitter.com/yGAuXcCgPx

— Ligue 1 Conforama (@Ligue1Conforama) April 30, 2017

The Ivorian would comfortably walk into Arsenal's first choice midfield of Granit Xhaka and Aaron Ramsey, adding more dynamism and passing accuracy that is sorely needed by the Gunners, especially since their Swiss signing has failed replicate the standards he set at Borussia Monchengladbach. In this transfer market, €41 million represents decent value for a player of Seri's age and quality.