Arsenal target Jean-Michael Seri will not find Nice standing in his way should he choose to move on this summer, the French side’s president Jean-Pierre Rivere has said.
Standard Sport revealed last week that Arsenal had made contact with Seri’s representatives ahead of a possible summer move, though the Ivory Coast international must still be convinced of the merits of a switch to the Emirates Stadium.
Seri is understood to prefer the lure of Chelsea and Manchester City, though neither side have yet made a move for the 26-year-old, who is expected to depart Nice this summer, three years after joining the club for around £700,000.
Striker Alassane Plea has already confirmed he plans to leave Nice, with Leicester and Newcastle linked with a move, and Rivere insisted that the club would not force either the forward or Seri to stay against their will.
“As we currently speak, no departure is confirmed,” he said. “But it’s true that Alassane is arriving at a stage in his career where it would be difficult to prevent him from looking for something else. You have to respect that.
“We are here to help players to improve, that is the case with him.
“Mika Seri is in the same category. A very good player who has brought a lot to the club and can legitimately have that desire to go and play abroad.”
Despite Rivere’s comments it should be noted that Seri only missed out on a move to Barcelona last summer because Nice changed the parameters of the deal at the last minute, forcing the Spanish side to pull the plug.
