Chelsea Transfer News: Latest Jean Michael Seri Rumours Ahead of January Window

Chelsea, Manchester City and Everton are reportedly all eyeing a January move for Nice midfielder Jean Michael Seri, who was linked with Barcelona throughout the summer.

According to the Guardian's Ed Aarons, the Ivorian is available for a reduced fee of £25 million after last summer's lengthy transfer saga came to nothing:

The 26-year-old was the driving force behind Nice's fantastic 2016-17 campaign in Ligue 1 and has maintained his good form this season, even as his team-mates have struggled. The club sits in sixth place in the standings and finished third last season.

Seri arrived in France in 2015 and quickly established himself as one of Ligue 1's best passers. While some journalists made lazy comparisons to N'Golo Kante when discussing transfer rumours, Seri plays a lot more like Paris Saint-Germain's Marco Verratti, dazzling with his distribution from a central position.

His vision and range are his best assets, and Seri has few weaknesses. While he's not a great defender by any means, he's willing to track back and throw his body into tackles. Despite his slight build, he's been largely injury-free the last few seasons.

As you can see in the video below, he also knows how to score:

Last season, Seri bagged seven goals in Ligue 1 to go with his nine assists.

Chelsea's midfield depth has already been tested this season, as Danny Drinkwater has struggled with injuries and summer signing Tiemoue Bakayoko has been something of a disappointment. Kante has been solid as ever, but finding a consistent and suitable partner hasn't been easy.

Cesc Fabregas―another fantastic passer―has been in fine form of late, but the Spaniard can't be asked to start every single match. Having a second conductor to rotate in and out of the squad would be ideal for the Blues.

Nice failed to qualify for the UEFA Champions League so Seri wouldn't be cup-tied in that competition, making him an even more appealing target. At 26 years old, he's just entered his prime, so Chelsea would be investing in a long-term option who already has experience in several top European Leagues.

Claude Paris/Associated Press

The reported asking price of £25 million would be quite reasonable for a midseason acquisition and would certainly fit into Chelsea's budget. City and Everton will also be willing to pay such a fee, but Chelsea may be the best fit for the Ivory Coast international at this point.

The Citizens don't exactly need midfield help, with Fernandinho reportedly signing a new deal with the club, per Goal's Sam Lee. Academy graduate Phil Foden will undoubtedly see his playing time increase in the future and Ilkay Gundogan is finally healthy again, so adding yet another central midfielder would be a luxury at this point.

Everton would not present much of a step up for Seri, even if the Toffees have been in better form of late and could likely promise him more playing time than their rivals.