Manchester United continue to be linked with a move for Nice midfielder Jean Michael Seri.

United’s head of scouting, Marcel Bout, took in Nice’s game with Monaco last month, while a member of United’s scouting team watched Nice’s Europa League match against Lokomotiv Moscow on Thursday.

Manchester City have also been linked with Seri, although they appear to be focused on either Shakhtar Donetsk’s Fred or Borussia Dortmund star Julian Weigl.

Seri was close to agreeing a deal with Barcelona last summer, but the transfer fell through after Nice upped the asking price.

The midfielder is said to have an unofficial €40 million release clause in his contract, but his move to the Nou Camp collapsed after Paris Saint-Germain indicated they would offer €10m more.

With Michael Carrick retiring from the game this summer and doubts over whether Marouane Fellaini will take up the offer of a new deal, United boss Jose Mourinho is eager to add more quality to his midfield options.

Nice bought Seri from Paços de Ferreira in 2015 for around £750,000 and he has appeared in almost every Ligue 1 match since.

Seri’s current contract expires in the summer of 2019 and Nice look likely to cash in during the summer rather than risk losing him for nothing.