Arsenal dealt blow in race for Jean Seri

Nice's manager put an end to rumours linking Seri to Arsenal after he confirmed that the midfielder is not for sale this summer.

The Ivory Coast international impressed last season for Nice as the club surprised many by finishing third in Ligue 1, having staged a fight for the title halfway through the season.

Seri completed a total of 2,733 passes last season, more than any other player in Ligue 1. In addition, he had a 90 percent passing accuracy, created 74 chances, registered nine assists and scored seven goals.  

His brilliant form won him many plaudits and clubs across Europe have been lining up for the 25-year-old, drawing comparisons to Chelsea's N'Golo Kante. Arsenal were believed to be firm favourites to sign the player after Arsene Wenger was pictured in Nice last month. 

However, Arsenal look set to lose out on Seri after Nice manager Lucien Favre confirmed that he will not be leaving. 

Speaking to French television outlet Le 10 Sport, he was quoted as saying: "Seri? He stays, that's definitive. We've lost four starting players. That's enough. It's not easy to replace them." 

The four players that Favre spoke off was Paul Baysse, who left to Malaga. Nice also lost Ricardo Pereira, Anastasios Donis, and Younes Belhanda, whose loan deals all expired at the end of last season. 

Wenger will now have to look elsewhere for a quality defensive midfielder to follow up on his signing of Alexandre Lacazette.