Jean-Michael Seri Warned Off Summer Manchester United Move as Reported Interest Increases

Manchester United summer transfer target Jean-Michael Seri has been warned off a move to Old Trafford by former Leeds United and France international midfielder Olivier Dacourt, after he stated the player must take how much game time will be offered into account before securing a switch. 

The 26-year-old, who currently plies his trade with Ligue 1 outfit Nice, has been targeted by Old Trafford boss Jose Mourinho as a potential long-term replacement for veteran Michael Carrick, who is set to take up a new role within the coaching staff at the end of this season. 

It is thought that inter-city rivals Manchester City are also eyeing the ball-winner, with the Citizens linked with a £35m move, although they see Shakhtar Donetsk's Brazilian midfielder Fred as their preferred choice. 

It is also claimed that Barcelona were close on landing Seri before the beginning of this campaign, however opted for former Tottenham Hotspur man Paulinho after their attempts fell through. 

But despite the Ivory Coast international being very much in Mourinho's transfer plans for his strengthening mission this coming summer, Dacourt believes the central-midfielder may find success elsewhere, as he must take into account the amount of minutes which will be afforded to him at such a big club. 

“He almost went to Barcelona, but he did not leave”, the 43-year-old former defensive-midfielder told Bwin.

"The problem with those quality players is that they are very good in major French clubs but now we are talking about big foreign clubs.

"Because of the competition in the big foreign clubs, it is necessary to see how they behave - personality is not enough.

"The point is not to go to the big club, it’s to play there. A good example is Bernardo Silva. Last year he had an extraordinary season with Monaco – at Manchester City he has more trouble.”

Although Seri is one of Mourinho's targets in the summer, it is thought that Bayern Munich's Arturo Vidal is the Portuguese manager's preference, with the Chilean's future at the Allianz Arena under increasing speculation.