Nice president: Bartomeu phoned, feeling embarrassed, to tell me Barcelona didn't want Seri
Mass confusion in Blaugrana transfer dealings
Posted Monday, September 04, 2017 by Marca.com
Barcelona's move for Jean-Michael Seri ended in farce as Nice claim that club president Josep Maria Bartomeu was left to deliver the Catalans' sudden U-turn on the deal at the last minute.
Jean-Pierre Riviere asserts that a 40 million euro fee was agreed between the two teams before the LaLiga outfit pulled the plug.
"Julien Fournier, the general manager of [Nice], called me early on Wednesday [August 23], at about 09:00 and said: Jean-Pierre, I do not understand, I received a call from Barcelona and they told me to stop the Seri transfer," Riviere recalled on Canal+.
"In the afternoon, Bartomeu called me, a little embarrassed, and said to me: 'This is the first time that it has happened to us. Our staff have decided not to sign Seri, but it is not a financial issue'."
The Nice chief has sympathies with the player, as he acknowledged that it was Seri's desire to move to Barcelona during the transfer window.
"I put myself in his shoes; it was his dream to go to Barcelona and then it was broken. It was all up in the air," Riviere noted.
Photos
More»
Meet Jude Bellingham's stunning girlfriend Laura
Thursday April 25 2024
[PICTURE SPECIAL] Man Utd 4 - 2 Sheffield United
Thursday April 25 2024
[PICTURE SPECIAL] Arsenal 5-0 Chelsea
Wednesday April 24 2024
Your Say