Arsenal are reportedly set to face competition from Premier League rivals Leicester City in pursuit of Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Yves Bissouma.
According to a report from the Irish Mirror, Arsenal’s pursuit of Brighton & Hove Albion star Yves Bissouma just got a tad bid complicated as they have now been joined by Leicester City in the race to sign the midfielder.
Bissouma, 24, has been with Brighton since the summer of 2018, having joined from French side LOSC Lille. During his near three-year stint at the club, the Malian international has made 87 appearances, in the process contributing with four goals and an assist.
However, it is his off the ball work that has made Bissouma such a vital cog in the scheme of things for Graham Potter. Indeed, the defensive midfielder has missed just two the Seagulls’ 29 Premier League games this season, highlighting his prominence in the side.
Bissouma’s growth with Brighton has not gone unnoticed as one would expect, with Arsenal having taken note of his progression. The Gunners strengthened their midfield unit last summer with the marquee addition of Thomas Partey but are still lacking an able partner for him, who can ably hold the fort in the middle of the park.
Granit Xhaka continues to blow hot and cold while Mohamed Elneny, for all his positive attributes, does not possess the quality needed for a team hoping to be challenging for trophies. And with Dani Ceballos’ loan deal also coming to an end in a few months’ time the Gunners will need a central midfielder in the summer.
To that end, Mikel Arteta & co. seem to have narrowed down on Bissouma as a viable transfer target and have even made an enquiry to sign him in the summer as well. However, they are now set to face competition from Premier League high-fliers Leicester City in the race to sign the 24-year-old.
The report states that the Foxes manager Brendan Rodgers is eyeing a midfield partner for Wilfred Ndidi despite having the likes of Nampalys Mendy and Hamza Choudhury as options in the defensive midfield role. And, the Northern Irishman sees Bissouma as the ideal option.
Bissouma is a boyhood Arsenal fan and would certainly be attracted to making the switch to the Emirates. However, at Leicester, the 24-year-old would likely be getting a chance to play Champions League football next season, something that will not be forthcoming with the Gunners. In addition, he also has courted interest from Liverpool as well.
So, it will be interesting to see what the future holds for the Malian. As things stand, though, it is looking increasingly likely that Bissouma will be on the move away from Brighton come summer.