Why Fulham should sanction loan exit for Jean Michael Seri in January
According to Sky Sports, Fulham are willing to listen to offers for out-of-favour midfielder Jean Michael Seri in the January window as Scott Parker looks to cut down his wage bills.
As per the report, the Cottagers have entered into talks with Galatarasay over a potential loan deal for the Ivorian enforcer. The 29-year-old was axed from Fulham’s 25-man Premier League squad for the first half of the season back in October.
Seri’s decline at Fulham
Fulham grabbed the headlines in the transfer market when they forked out a then club-record £25m fee to sign Jean Michael Seri from OGC Nice in the summer of 2018. The Ivory Coast international had established himself as one of the best box-to-box midfielders in France and came through the door at Craven Cottage with a lot of expectations on his shoulders.
Seri started his career in English football on a bright note but his influence gradually waned over the course of the 2018-19 season. The 29-year-old managed only a solitary goal and two assists in 32 PL appearances as Fulham suffered relegation straight back down to the Championship.
Considering that Seri had cost Fulham an awful lot of money, he was widely criticised as one of the main reasons behind the club’s ill-fated campaign in the top-flight. Following the club’s relegation to the second-tier, he was loaned out to Galatasaray, where he made 37 appearances in all competitions last season.
The midfielder would have expected to be handed a second crack of the whip to prove himself in the Premier League this season after returning to Fulham. But Parker omitted the Ivorian from his PL squad for the campaign after securing a permanent deal for Harrison Reed while Mario Lemina also joined the ranks on loan from Southampton.
Time for a change?
It’s clear that Parker doesn’t rate Seri as a player capable of making an impact in the Premier League. The Ivorian still has a contract until 2022 with the option of a further year, but Fulham shouldn’t hesitate to cut their losses on him if he isn’t in the manager’s plans at all.
While cashing in on the flop would be ideal, the current financial crisis triggered by the pandemic makes that quite difficult in January. Hence, Fulham should be more than happy to sanction a loan exit for the 29-year-old, who has only featured twice in the EFL Cup so far this season.
Looking at things from the player’s perspective, Seri still has a lot to offer at 29. He might have struggled to establish himself in the Premier League but has enough time on his side to redeem himself at some other club. He played regularly on loan at Galatasaray last season, so a return to the familiar shores in Turkey would definitely make sense.
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Verdict
It hardly makes any sense for paying Seri the wages for simply gathering dust on the sidelines. The January window presents a good opportunity for Parker to get rid of the deadwood and the 29-year-old certainly falls within that bracket. Having said that, Fulham agreeing a loan deal with the Turkish giants for their big-money flop would be a fair settlement for all parties.
