Fulham acquire the services of Nice midfielder on a club-record deal

Fulham have announced the signing of Nice midfielder Jean-Michael Seri on a club-record deal of around £18m.

Earlier this month, the Ivorian had been strongly linked with a move to Chelsea but the Cottagers have now won the race for his services after committing him to a four-year contract.

"It was a long day yesterday so it was great to get the move finalised. I'm delighted to be here, it's a new adventure that starts for me and I'm hoping it will all go well," he told the club's official website.

Aside from Seri, the Cottagers have also secured the signature of his fellow teammate Maxime Le Marchand, who is capable of playing in both the left-back and central defensive positions.

Meanwhile, Fulham have expressed an interest in signing Tomas Kalas and Lucas Piazon on a permanent basis from Chelsea but so far, they have not failed to agree on a fee for the pair.

Newcastle United's Aleksandar Mitrovic has been another on the club's radar after he impressed on loan last term but the Magpies' £20m valuation has proved a stumbling block.