Why Jean Michael Seri will be a vital asset for the Cottagers this season

Fulham made a number of big additions to their club before the transfer window slammed shut. The newly-promoted side splashed the cash and crossed the £100million mark this summer. The ever-inflating transfer market once again proved to surprise with mammoth fees being paid for stars.

But the Cottagers’ coup of the summer has to be the acquisition of midfielder Jean Michael Seri from OGC. Fulham paid a fee of around £25million to land the Ivorian on a four-year deal. The move came as a massive surprise with Fulham beating the likes of Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund to earn his signature (h/t Telegraph)

Though Slavisa Jokanovic’s men were unable to come away with a win against Crystal Palace last weekend, Fulham looked confident and composed as they went forward. Seri flourished in a left central midfield role alongside the likes of Kevin McDonald and Tom Cairney.

The Ivorian brought about a sense of stability and cohesion in the middle of the park. Seri was an omnipresent force and covered almost every area on the field. His distribution proved to be highly beneficial for Fulham while going forward. Furthermore, Seri averaged a pass success rate of 89.2% in the game against Crystal Palace.

He also possesses the versatility to operate in a number of different systems. Under Slavisa Jokanovic’s style of play, Seri is expected to pick up the ball from deep in the midfield and move it forward as swiftly as possible. Coincidentally, that is the exact kind of role he was playing for Nice as well.

The 27-year-old displayed his brilliant work rate last weekend. Seri looked fast and agile throughout the whole game, barely showing any signs of fatigue. The midfielder is an able deputy when it came to offering support to the defence as well. He’s aggressive off the ball and his relentless running will prove to be cumbersome for a good number of sides in the Premier League.

Read more: What went wrong for Fulham and West Ham despite a summer full of promises?

As Jokanovic’s men prepare for their clash against Tottenham Hotspur next, the manager must ensure he fields Seri in a similar role. The Ivorian must relish the opportunity to take on the likes of Christian Eriksen and Eric Dier in the middle of the park. It will be interesting to see if Seri can use his defensive prowess to stop Eriksen from pulling the strings in the midfield.