Chelsea have been linked with a bargain move for Seri for weeks.
The Blues are aware of his £36m release clause and Seri, who almost joined Barcelona last summer, is supposedly keen on a deal.
But the Ivory Coast international may end up heading to Manchester if Pep Guardiola gets his way.
That is according to the Mirror, who claim City are preparing to trigger Seri’s release clause after hitting a hurdle chasing another transfer target.
The Premier League champions have turned their attention to Nice’s star man after seeing a £60m bid for Jorginho rejected by Napoli.
City, who are expected to land Riyad Mahrez this summer in a £75m deal from Leicester, are unwilling to go any higher for Jorginho.
Seri is therefore a back-up buy for Guardiola, who is keen to redevelop his midfield before the start of next season.
As for Chelsea, the Mirror claim Seri was in line to replace Danny Drinkwater at Stamford Bridge, with a plan in place for the midfielder to get regular game time whether Antonio Conte is manager next season or not.
But the Blues, who are enduring a miserable summer transfer window so far, will have to wait further for their first piece of business in the market.
The Mirror claim both West Ham and Arsenal are also interested in Seri.
But City, who also shied away from signing Fred when quoted £43m by Shakhtar Donetsk, will throw all their weight behind the Seri deal.
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