Swansea City have reportedly jumped ahead of their Premier League rivals by submitting a bid for Nice midfielder Jean-Michael Seri.
The 26-year-old is believed to have also attracted attention from North London enemies Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.
However, neither have opened talks with Nice, which has allowed Swansea to swoop in with an offer of £15m up front, plus add-ons, according to L'Equipe.
Despite making the first move, the Swans are unlikely to get their man at the first time of trying as the French club value the midfielder at around £36m.
It is believed that the figure is part of a release clause that was agreed between the club and player.