Ronald Koeman’s Everton and Claude Puel’s Southampton have both embarked on decent Premier League seasons this term.
The Toffees are seventh and sure of a spot in the Europa League next season, while the Saints sit tenth but know that victory over Arsenal tonight could take them up to eighth place in the table.
And both sides appear to already be thinking about next term, with recent reports linking them, as well as German giants Borussia Dortmund, with a move for Nice midfielder Jean-Michaël Seri.
The 25-year-old has had an outstanding season for the Ligue 1 outfit, netting six times and laying on nine assists to help the club, Puel’s former employers, to third place in the top-flight, just six points behind big-spenders Paris Saint-Germain, and nine behind leaders and Champions League semi-finalists Monaco.
And now reports have come out of the Ivory Coast (via Sport Witness) suggesting that Nice will expect the likes of Everton, Southampton, and Dortmund to stump up €40 million if they want to lure the playmaker away from France this summer.
Koeman’s Toffees will likely be looking to bolster their midfield and attacking options this summer in a bid to bridge the gap to the top six in the Premier League, while Puel’s knowledge of the French leagues after managing Monaco, Lille, Lyon, and of course Nice could prove beneficial in any deal for Seri.
Whether the two sides would want to spend €40 million remains to be seen, but it’s clear that the 25-year-old midfielder has had a wonderful season, and may well do a job in the top-flight for either of the Premier League duo.