Reports: Manchester United set to hijack Manchester City's move for 26-year-old midfielder

What's the story?

Manchester United have set their sights on Manchester City target, Jean-Michael Seri, according to The Guardian's Ed Aarons. The Nice midfielder is reportedly being targeted by a host of European giants - with Paris St-Germain, Manchester City and Chelsea all vying for the Ivorian's signature, according to The Sun.

Having narrowly missed out on a move to Barcelona in the summer, Seri's preference for a move away from Ligue 1 has been well documented.

Seri's release clause of £35 million expired in the summer, according to Spanish news publication, Marca. With plenty of clubs now rumoured to be interested in the midfielder, Nice can demand a fee that is substantially higher.

Manchester United are ready to rival Manchester City for Ivory Coast midfielder Jean Seri. City are hoping to sign him in the summer from Nice having held meetings with his agent this week #mufc #mcfc

— Ed Aarons (@ed_aarons) January 18, 2018

In case you didn't know...

Jean-Michael Seri was greatly instrumental in Nice’s 3rd place finish in Ligue 1 last season, behind Paris St-Germain and champions AS Monaco.

The Ivorian had chipped in with an incredible 9 assists, while also scoring 6 goals as he had been ever present in the heart of Nice’s midfield, earning him the moniker ‘Mr. Assist’ amongst Nice’s fans and his fellow squad members.

The heart of the matter

The Sun claims that Jean-Michael Seri prefers a move to the Premier League, but given his documented condition of chilblains, that seems rather surprising.

According to TalkSport, Seri described his condition thus: "When it’s cold I need special treatment. I don’t see myself playing in a country where it’s cold. I hurt everywhere and I struggle to train."

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has spoken of the need for reinforcements in multiple press conferences over the course of the season, and given that Alexis Sanchez seems to be on the way, the Red Devils clearly have no issues spending big in January.

Rumour Reliability

5/10

While the Guardian themselves are a much-respected journalistic publication, Ed Aarons has not had the best track record when it comes to transfer rumours of late. However, with Manchester United clearly in the market for top-class reinforcements this January, there may be some truth to the rumour.

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Author's Take:

Seri's chilblains might prove to be a stumbling block to any potential move to England, let alone Manchester United, although his is a condition that can be managed.

The Ivorian's quality is in no doubt, given that he was courted by the likes of Barcelona and Liverpool in the past. With both Manchester clubs now about to do battle, Seri could finally get the worldwide platform his talents deserve.