What would Arsenal target Jean-Michael Seri bring to the Premier League?

Nice star heavily linked with Gunners move

With Unai Emery confirmed as Arsenal’s new manager in the post-Arsene Wenger world, attention now turns to who the Gunners might sign this summer.

And one player who has been frequently touted as a potential arrival is Nice’s Jean-Michael Seri.

It looks like a deal is on the cards. New boss Emery tried to sign Seri in January when at Paris Saint-Germain.

And with Santi Cazorla announcing his Arsenal departure this week, there is a void to be filled.

At 26-years-old, Seri should be entering his peak. The Ivory Coast international has really made his name in the last couple of seasons at Nice.

The impact

Controlling things from the middle, Seri has played a pivotal role in helping the South-Coast outfit finish sixth, third and fourth across the last three seasons.

Many of Nice’s best performances have come with Seri at the forefront. Note the 4-0 thumping of Monaco in September 2016, and the 3-1 success over PSG in April 2017.

And it’s no coincidence that Nice lost their grip on that 2016-17 title race while Seri was on international duty at the African Cup of Nations.

The stats

He’s produced 26 assists over the last three years in Ligue 1, while firing in 12 goals of his own.

Only PSG’s Marco Verratti averaged more passes per match than Seri last term. The Ivorian was also eighth in Ligue 1 for key passes.

But Seri brings much more than statistics. He’s the man who begins Nice’s forays forward. So if he doesn’t provide the assist, he’s usually getting things started earlier in the move.