Fulham announce shock arrival of Chelsea target in club-record deal

Fulham have announced they have signed Jean Seri from French side Nice on a four-year deal until 2022 with an option to a further 12 months.

The Cottagers have fended off interest from some of the biggest clubs in Europe to land the 26-year-old on a reported club-record deal worth £30m.

Seri was heavily linked with a move to Chelsea but the Premier League giants were not willing to intensify their interest until they resolve their managerial situation.

Chelsea’s indecisiveness has allowed Fulham to prise the highly-rated central midfielder to Craven Cottage in one of the coup’s of the summer.

“It was a long day yesterday so it was great to get the move finalised,” Seri told the club’s official website.

“Now, I’m ready to get started and looking forward to meeting the squad and getting to know them, the head coach and his staff better.

“I’m delighted to be here, it’s a new adventure that starts for me and I’m hoping it will all go well.”

Seri’s arrival caps what has been a really positive season for the newly-promoted side. Fulham have not only signed one of the most sought after midfielder’s in Europe they have also secured the long-term futures of star men Ryan Sessegnon and Tom Cairney.

Only Marco Verratti (92.7) averaged more passes per game than Seri (86.3) in France’s top tier last season.