Manchester United Transfer Rumors 2018: Red Devils Lead Race to Sign Nice Star Jean-Michaël Seri

By Noriel See, Christian Post Contributor Saturday, January 20, 2018

Nice's Jean-Michaël Seri has been courted by some of the biggest clubs in Europe, but he may be heading to the Premier League this month with Manchester United reportedly leading the race to sign him.

According to the Mirror's David McDonnell, the Red Devils are currently the frontrunners for the Ivorian footballer's signature, and they see him as a long-term solution at central midfield.

The report says that Liverpool and Chelsea are also in the mix for Seri, and crosstown rivals Manchester City are expected to join the chase as well. The midfielder reportedly has a £35 million release clause.

"Seri was set to join Barcelona last summer but that deal fell through, while Paris St Germain have been unable to sign him due to Financial Fair Play restrictions," McDonnell wrote in his report.

"The 26-year-old has a €40m–£35m release clause in his Nice contract, which has 18 months left to run, and is set to spark a scramble for his signature this summer. Sources close to Seri say he wants to move to the Premier League, which would rule out PSG, leaving United, Liverpool, Chelsea and City to fight for his signature," he added.

Seri will get the chance to make an impact right away if he joins United because long-time midfield mainstay Michael Carrick is set to retire from playing to become a coach at the end of the season. Furthermore, Belgian midfielder Marouane Fellaini's future with the club is also a big question mark and he's unlikely to stay once his contract expires in June.

In other news, French newspaper Le Parisien has reported that United have been eyeing Lassana Diarra as well, but the veteran midfielder is said to prefer a move to Paris Saint-Germain.

Diarra has played under José Mourinho before during his stints with Chelsea and Real Madrid.