Transfer Centre

Nice chief: 'Barcelona pulled plug on Jean Michael Seri transfer'

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 04 September 2017

Barcelona are to blame for the botched transfer that would have seen Jean Michael Seri leave Nice in a £36.8m deal, according to Nice president Jean-Pierre Rivere.

Nice president Jean-Pierre Rivere has suggested that Barcelona are to blame for Jean Michael Seri's botched transfer during the summer transfer window.

The 26-year-old hit out at his own club last week after seeing his dream move to Camp Nou fall through, which he put down to the French side 'failing to deliver on their promises'.

Rivere is adamant that the opposite is true, however, as Barca pulled out of a deal for the Ivory Coast international - who has two Ligue 1 appearances to his name this term - after previously shaking hands on a £36.8m transfer.

"The two clubs had agreed a price of €40m, but the situation took a turn at the last moment," he told French TV channel Canal+.

"[Nice's general director Julien Fournier] called me and said: 'Jean-Pierre, I don't understand anything. Barcelona just called me. Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu, with some embarrassment, tells me that they don't want Seri.'

"I don't understand anything. It was practically done. I put myself in the place of Seri and it's tough. His dream of going to Barca was close, but in one night it broke down."

Barca have been widely panned for their summer transfer activity, having failed to land a number of their targets after losing Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain.