Barcelona are reportedly set to complete the signing of Nice midfielder Jean Michael Seri and will hope to wrap up a €40m deal next week.
It’s been a tumultuous summer for the Catalan giants, as after losing Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain for a world-record transfer fee, they’ve struggled to bring in a replacement after seeing bids for Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele rejected.
However, according to Mundo Deportivo, they’re about to have more success in their pursuit of Seri, as they’ll meet his €40m release clause and avoid having to be drawn into a long negotiation with the Ligue 1 outfit.
The 26-year-old impressed last season, scoring seven goals and providing nine assists in 34 league appearances to help Nice make the Champions League qualifiers, although they look set to fall short of making the group stage after losing 2-0 in their first-leg meeting with Napoli this week.
Nevertheless, it looks as though Seri’s set to move on to a new challenge this season regardless with Barca seeing him as an ideal addition to Ernesto Valverde’s squad as they look to bounce back from disappointment in the Spanish Super Cup against Real Madrid and start the La Liga campaign on the right foot.
Meanwhile, it’s added by Mundo Deportivo that the signing of Seri doesn’t rule out the acquisition of Coutinho, as Barcelona believe that the two can compliment one another and will be important signings in their own right. As a result, this will offer no relief for Liverpool supporters just yet who are desperate to see the Brazilian playmaker stay at Anfield.