Real Madrid have reportedly entered the race to sign Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Yves Bissouma, who is also a target for Arsenal and Liverpool.
According to a report from Tribal Football, the race for the signing of Brighton & Hove Albion star Yves Bissouma just got hotter as reigning La Liga champions Real Madrid have joined the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool in pursuit of the 24-year-old.
Bissouma signed for Brighton in the summer of 2018 and, over the past three years, he has developed into one of their top performers while also establishing himself as one of the most reliable central midfielders in the Premier League, especially in the ongoing season. The Malian international’s progress hasn’t gone unnoticed either, with a host of top clubs in England keen on signing him, including Arsenal and Liverpool.
Indeed, Arsenal have been one of the clubs that are hot on the trails of Bissouma and understandably so as manager Mikel Arteta will be desperate for midfield reinforcements this summer. The Gunners will lose Dani Ceballos when his loan deal runs out at the end of the season while Mohamed Elneny is entering the final year of his contract.
Even if he does pen a new deal, the Egyptian is largely viewed as a squad player leaving Arteta with just Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey, who has underwhelmed in his debut season in England, as his frontline options in midfield, something that can be addressed with the signing of Bissouma.
As for Liverpool, the situation is not too dissimilar in the sense that the Reds are set to lose Georginio Wijnaldum when his contract runs out at the end of the season while both Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who have struggled with injuries this season, have been linked with potential exits in the summer as well.
Throw in James Milner’s advancing age and Thiago Alcantara’s slow start to life in the Premier League, Jurgen Klopp’s midfield could certainly do with the injection of some fresh blood in the form of Bissouma’s arrival.
Just when it had emerged that the 24-year-old had requested a transfer from Brighton in order to seal a transfer to one of the big clubs, it is now being claimed that Real Madrid have also entered the fray for the signing of Bissouma. The Merengues are in the market for reinforcements in the middle of the park as Luka Modric reaches the twilight of his career while Toni Kroos is also into his thirties.
In addition, with there being no options in terms of cover for Casemiro at Zinedine Zidane’s disposal, bringing in a new central midfielder into the club makes complete sense. To that end, Real Madrid have been linked with a host of players, including Manchester United’s Paul Pogba, but Bissouma has emerged as the latest target Los Blancos.
In fact, the report even goes on to claim that Real Madrid are already to act on their interest in Bissouma by making an offer of €35 million to convince Brighton to part ways with him. It now remains to be seen if the Spanish champions are able to beat Liverpool and Arsenal to the signing of the Malian international come summer.