Why Jean Michael Seri’s return to Fulham would be a massive boost
According to Turkish newspaper Hurriyet (h/t The Lancashire Post), Jean Michael Seri is set to return Fulham after failing to impress during the first half of his loan spell with Galatasaray.
The Ivory Coast international, 28, joined Fulham from OGC Nice in the summer of 2018 for around £25m. He made 32 appearances for the Cottagers but could not prevent their relegation to the Championship after one season back in the Premier League.
Following Fulham’s relegation, Jean Michael Seri joined Turkish club Galatasaray on a season-long loan. Galatasaray paid a loan fee of £1.34m, with the option to make the move permanent for £15.2m in the summer of 2020.
However, the midfielder has struggled to make much of an impact in the 17 appearances he has made across all competitions. As a result, the Turkish club doesn’t want to sign Seri permanently and he’ll return to Craven Cottage in January.
Fulham, meanwhile, have endured an inconsistent campaign so far but occupy the last playoff spot. The West Londoners will look to rectify three-straight league defeats when they host second-placed Leeds United on Saturday.
It’s a mini-blip in form for the Cottagers, who registered four straight wins last month. The performances in November were excellent, with manager Scott Parker showing his nous by getting the best out of his players.
But a couple of bad games changes the context completely. Nonetheless, Fulham have a long way to go and must start stringing positive results again, starting with Leeds tomorrow.
The Londoners have an array of midfielders but Seri’s return in January would certainly provide a boost to Parker’s side. It is tough to deny that a midfielder of his calibre and experience could be a massive upgrade on Fulham’s current options in the middle of the park.
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The Ivorian never quite hit it off during his time at the club and in the Premier League, he looked very much out of his depth. But he is more than capable of thriving in the Championship, competing with the likes of Harry Arter, Josh Onomah, Tom Cairney and Stefan Johansen for a spot in central midfield.
Verdict
Given Fulham’s current poor run of form, Parker may well be delighted to have another midfield option in his squad. Seri would be like a new signing for the Cottagers, one that could make the difference when the race for automatic promotion enters the business end.
