After such a dominating title win last season, this term has been a shock to the system for Chelsea as they are almost guaranteed to miss out on a `Champions League place. A 3-1 loss to Tottenham and a 1-1 draw with West Ham has left them ten points behind Spurs with just four games left.
Preparing for life in the Europa League isn’t something Blues fans would’ve expected back in August but with that being a very realistic possibility, it is important that rebuilding happens straight away. One player who has appeared in Europe this season might find himself at Stamford Bridge at the end of the summer.
The current Premier League champions are looking to take advantage of Jean Michael Seri’s £35 million release clause, according to L’Equipe. The Ivorian is a player that has been followed by Manchester City and United over the last few years for his reputation as an all-action central midfielder. This may mean that Chelsea will face stiff competition for his signature amongst sides who will be challenging in the Champions League, and thus, taking advantage of a promo for Ladbrokes in 2018 may help mitigate the risk for punters.
Seri has had another great campaign despite Nice’s slow start. They are now back in the hunt for consecutive European forays but without their midfield maestro, they would struggle to recreate their strong form.
Whoever will be in the manager’s office at Stamford Bridge over the summer must consider that the 26-year-old has been likened to N’Golo Kante and playing them alongside each other in the middle of the park could see a clash of two very similar playing styles.
A full-scale overhaul is expected of both the playing and coach staff at Stamford Bridge this summer, with Alvaro Morata, Eden Hazard, Thibaut Courtois, Danny Drinkwater and a host of other stars being linked with a number of clubs across Europe. It is unlikely that Antonio Conte will remain in the hot seat beyond the end of the current campaign; owner Roman Abramovich is notoriously impatient with managers, regardless of their past record, and it is probable that the Italian will play the price for the Blues’ failure this term.
Chelsea will be hoping, if they do sign Seri, that he won’t be another Bakayoko after the ex-Monaco midfielder has had a baptism of fire for his new side. However, for £35 million, the Blues could do much worse than sign Jean Michael Seri as he would definitely improve the strength of their squad.
