Barcelona set to sign Ligue 1 midfield maestro Jean Michael Seri

Bengaluru, August 21: Spanish giants Barcelona are reportedly set to complete the signing of Nice midfielder Jean Michael Seri and will hope to wrap up the €40million deal for the Ivorian midfield powerhouse this week.

It's been a frustrating summer for the Catalan giants so far, after losing Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain for a world-record transfer fee, they have been bullied by both Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund as they were looking at a replacement for the Brazilian superstar.

A series of bids for Philippe Coutinho from Barcelona has been turned down by Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund also have managed to retain their star forward Ousmane Dembele despite strong interest from the Camp Nou.

However, according to Mundo Deportivo, they're about to finally have some success, with their pursuit of Seri, as they'll meet his €40m release clause and avoid having to be drawn into a long negotiation with the Ligue 1 outfit.

The 26-year-old impressed last season, scoring seven goals and providing nine assists in 34 league appearances to help Nice make the Champions League qualifiers, although they look set to fall short of making the group stage after losing 2-0 in their first-leg meeting with Napoli this week.

Nevertheless, it looks as though Seri's set to move on to a new challenge this season regardless with Barcelona seeing him as an ideal addition to Ernesto Valverde's squad as they look to bounce back from disappointment in the Spanish Super Cup against Real Madrid and start the La Liga campaign on the right foot.

Meanwhile, it's added by Mundo Deportivo that the signing of Seri doesn't rule out the acquisition of Coutinho, as Barcelona believe that the two can complement one another and will be important signings in their own right.

As a result, this will offer no relief for Liverpool supporters just yet who are desperate to see the Brazilian playmaker stay at Anfield.