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Football

17th Feb 2018

Manchester United interested in Nice midfielder Jean Michael Seri as Michael Carrick replacement

At that price, you can't lose...

Simon Lloyd

Jose Mourinho is expected to prioritise a midfielder in the summer.

Having already made clear that he will not be looking to add any attacking players to his Manchester United squad ahead of next season, Mourinho is reportedly looking increasingly likely to make a move for Nice midfielder, Jean Michael Seri.

Seri, an international teammate of Eric Bailly, is expected to be in demand in the summer, having already been linked with moves to several Premier League clubs and Barcelona.

United, however, are believed to be keeping a close eye on the midfielder. The Daily Mail report that Mourinho dispatched scouts to run the rule over the player in Nice’s game with Lokomotiv Moscow on Thursday. Last month, Mourinho ordered Marcel Bout, the club’s head of scouting, to watch him during a game with Monaco.

Michael Carrick will retire at the end of the season, and Mourinho is keen to bolster his midfield options. The recent troubles with Paul Pogba means he’s likely to prioritise a more defensively-minded midfielder to give the Frenchman license to influence games further up the field.

Seri fits the bill, and with a reported release clause of £33m – a reasonable fee in the current transfer market – it seems like a move for the 26-year-old is under serious consideration.

Carrick, who joined United from Tottenham in 2006, is expected to join the club’s coaching staff.

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