Barcelona Reportedly Willing to Pay Jean Michael Seri's €40M Release Clause

Barcelona have told OGC Nice they are prepared to activate Jean Michael Seri's €40 million buyout clause.

That's according to the Guardian's Ed Aarons:

Seri helped Nice finish third in Ligue 1 last year behind AS Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain.

His efforts were recognised with an award at the end of the season, per Goal's Robin Bairner, who noted the player has been likened to Chelsea's N'Golo Kante:

The pair do share some similar attributes, namely their boundless stamina and the remarkable levels of energy and industry they can bring to the engine room.

Nevertheless, as Bairner pointed out, Seri has much more to offer going forward than the more defensive-minded Kante.

The box-to-box midfielder was at the heart of Nice's attacking play last year, per Squawka Football:

According to Squawka, he also made more passes than any of his team-mates (2,733), created the most chances (74) and provided the most through balls (32).

Barcelona are in serious need of midfield reinforcements this summer, and the 26-year-old's impressive blend of technical ability and physicality would make him a strong candidate to add to their lineup.

It appears he will be available at what is a reasonable price in today's market, and the prospect of joining Barcelona will likely be a tempting one for the player, so they have a strong chance of landing him if they do trigger his clause.