Arsenal are reportedly leading the way in the pursuit of OGC Nice midfielder Jean Michael Seri.
According to L'Equipe (h/t Sport Witness), there is "serious interest" from the Premier League side in the 26-year-old, who was outstanding last term as his team finished in third place in Ligue 1. The Gunners are said to be "above all" in the chase for the player.
As noted in the report, AS Roma are also interested in the playmaker, while Swansea City have had a €17 million (£15.2 million) bid turned down already, according to L'Equipe (h/t Get French Football News).
It's noted that Nice have already confirmed Seri will be allowed to move on should an offer of €40 million (£35.7 million) come in for the Ivory Coast international.
Seri was at the heart of an outstanding campaign for the Ligue 1 side. Per Squawka Football, his passing ability is arguably his strongest attribute, with the midfielder able to manage matches and create opportunities from the middle of the park:
He's the kind of midfielder the Gunners would benefit from having in their squad, especially with Santi Cazorla sidelined indefinitely.
The diminutive Spaniard is adept at controlling the tempo of matches for Arsenal from a deeper position, and without him, they've been unable to exert the same dominance on contests. The likes of Aaron Ramsey, Granit Xhaka and Francis Coquelin are not as comfortable performing that particular job.
Seri is, though, and in a market that has seen transfer fees inflate substantially, the fee may represent decent value for a player who is in the peak years of his career.
New Thomas Lemar Offer Made
According to Jeremy Wilson of the Daily Telegraph, Arsenal will make a new offer for AS Monaco midfielder Thomas Lemar worth £45 million.
In the piece, it's noted the Gunners have already made two bids for the 21-year-old, although they have each been turned down by the Ligue 1 side.
It's noted Monaco are also in talks with Real Madrid over the sale of another young star, Kylian Mbappe, who has also been linked with the Gunners.
"Wenger, though, does not expect Mbappe to be sold and has focused his attention on Lemar, a player who would be ideally suited to the left-sided role of [Alexis] Sanchez or even as an extra high-quality option in central midfield," Wilson wrote.
Squawka's Nic English believes Arsenal may have to act fast if they want to land the young Frenchman, though:
Indeed, if Monaco do lose Mbappe, not only will they be desperate to keep some of their other crown jewels, there will be no financial pressure to cash in. After all, Madrid could pay as much as £161 million for the 18-year-old, while the Ligue 1 champions have already sold Benjamin Mendy, Bernardo Silva and Tiemoue Bakayoko for big money this summer.
With those sales in mind, losing Lemar may be a step too far for Monaco, as manager Leonardo Jardim will want to preserve at least an essence of last season's title-winning outfit.
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