Arsenal are reportedly holding talks with the agent of Nice midfielder Jean-Michael Seri with a view to making a potential transfer. But what do we actually know about the Cote d’Ivoire playmaker?
The 25-year-old has attracted lots of attention from Premier league clubs this summer. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and chief executive Ivan Gazidis were also spotted in Nice recently, for what may have been to convince Seri to make the switch to the Emirates Stadium.
Jean-Michael has made 39 appearances in all competitions for Nice this season, scoring seven goals and maknig nine assists. The 168cm midfielder has been irreplaceable for Nice and played a starring role in the side finishing third.
His strength
In some ways, Jean-Michael Seri is the typical playmaker but he has a physical presence that make his a difficult player to come up against.
His low height and great physical abilities allow him to cover the whole pitch in games, while possessing the ability to perform defence-splitting paces, turning defence into attack in speedy fashion.
Seri’s greatest strength is his vision. He has a remarkable overview of the whole pitch and always knows where are his teammates and how to open up space in opposition’s defense.
In Ligue 1, Seri has created 64 chances (1.88 per-game), and has created 73 chances for his team in all competitions, that’s 2.14 chances per-game and all that while maintaining a 90% pass completing ration..
His Weakness
Although great at leading the attack and is a force to be reckoned when his side is dominating, Seri does tend to go missing when his team doesn’t dominant the ball.
His 1.68 cm don’t give him much chance in aerial battles, and the player isn’t very effective at winning tackles either – winning just 22 tackles this season compared to the 64 lost.
His defensive work and skills will need to be worked on if he is to succeed in the Premier League given how many cheap fouls he gives.
His future at Arsenal
Jean-Michael Seri could be the replacement for Santi Cazorla that Arsenal desperately need. His ability to create chances and keep the possession can only improve an attacking team like Arsenal.
The Gunners are facing very stern competition for the player as Totenham and Barcelona are also reportedly very interested. The reported price of Jean-Michael Seri is around £35 million and OGC Nice aren’t prepared to negotiate for anything less.