Chelsea Transfer News: Jean Michael Seri Rumoured to Be in 'Advanced Talks'

Nice midfielder Jean Michael Seri is reportedly in "advanced talks" with Chelsea, and a transfer could go through despite the uncertainty surrounding the future of Blues manager Antonio Conte.

Get French Football and the Mirror each cited a report from French radio station RTL, which said the club will press ahead in their pursuit of Seri even though Conte looks likely to be replaced this summer:

According to the Mirror, negotiations for the playmaker are in the "latter stages," meaning the Blues could soon welcome their first new arrival of the summer transfer window.

Seri moved to France from Portuguese outfit Pacos de Ferreira in 2015 and has developed into a well-rounded midfielder who's accustomed to making his presence felt, per OptaJoao:

His performances over the past two campaigns have led to a raft of interest from some of Europe's big guns, including Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund, according to the Mirror.

Dortmund's introduction to the transfer tug-of-war is noted as a particular curveball in Chelsea's hopes of recruiting the star. Seri is in the final year of his contract with Nice, and that is pressuring the club to sell this summer.

Chelsea already have a large crop of French speakers in their squad and could add another with Ivory Coast international Seri, who scored twice and made five assists in 31 Ligue 1 appearances this past season.

N'Golo Kante already provides a steely defensive presence in midfield, but Goal profiled Seri as a player who could do more damage at Stamford Bridge with the ball at his feet:

Only Marco Verratti (92.7) averaged more passes per game than Seri (86.3) in Ligue 1 last term, per WhoScored.com, which is all the more incredible given he also completed 90.4 percent of his passes.

Tiemoue Bakayoko hasn't had the impact many hoped he would since moving to Chelsea from Monaco last summer, begging the question whether Seri may be eyed as a quick upgrade on the French flop.

There's also the fact Cesc Fabregas is 31 and no longer the most mobile of players, while Ross Barkley and Danny Drinkwater—both signed by Conte—may not be favoured by a new manager.

Kante has been a Premier League revelation since moving to England from Caen in 2015, and Chelsea may be close to securing another Ligue 1 midfield gem in Seri as talks over a deal are said to continue.