Arsenal & Tottenham In Battle To Sign £35m-Rated Ligue 1 Star

Managers are now making plans for the summer transfer window so we’ll bring you all the latest news and gossip from around the globe. Today, Arsenal and Tottenham face a fight to sign Jean-Michael Seri….

Arsenal and Tottenham face a tough battle with Barcelona over the signing of £35m-rated Nice midfielder Jean-Michael Seri this summer, according to a report in the Daily Star.

Seri joined Nice in the summer of 2015 having made his name in Portugal with Pacos de Ferreira and he’s developed in to one of the best central midfielders in Ligue 1.

The 25-year-old has just enjoyed an excellent campaign that saw him score seven goals and provide nine assists to help Nice secure a third-placed finish behind Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain.

Seri’s performances have caught the eye of clubs here in England with the Guardian reporting earlier this month that Arsenal and Tottenham have both expressed their interest in signing the midfielder.

The newspaper said that representatives from the North London duo held talks with Seri’s agent in the capital where they discussed a potential move to the Premier League this summer.

Arsene Wenger’s future will be decided after this weekend’s FA Cup final but it looks increasingly likely that the Frenchman will stay at the Emirates and oversee a squad overhaul following a disappointing campaign.

Central midfield has been an area of concern for the Gunners as Aaron Ramsey has struggled for form this year while Santi Cazorla has missed the majority of the season through injury so Wenger could be eyeing Seri as the man to strengthen his team in the middle of the park.

Tottenham are also expected to be active in the market this summer ahead of their return to the Champions League and Seri is seemingly on Mauricio Pochettino’s radar.

However, it looks like the north Londoners have a stiff fight on their hands as the Daily Star are citing a report from local paper Nice Matin that claims Barcelona are now in talks to sign the Ivory Coast international.

READ MORE –> Arsenal transfer news | Spurs transfer news

The newspaper says Seri has a £35m release clause in his contract but interested parties will hope to pay less considering the midfielder has just one year left to run on his current deal.