Steven Gerrard will make strengthening his midfield a priority in the summer as Aston Villa felt Brighton & Hove Albion priced Yves Bissouma out of a transfer in the January window.
That’s according to the Express & Star, who report Bissouma was among Villa’s top targets for a mid-season move. But the Seagulls refused to do business for the Mali international if offers were below £50m. So, Gerrard will now revive their pursuit at the end of the season.
Aston Villa will make Brighton a fresh bid for Bissouma’s transfer as he will only have a year left on his contract come June. The 25-year-old penned a five-year deal at the Amex after a £15m move from LOSC Lille in 2018 worth £25k-a-week.
Gerrard wanted Aston Villa to improve his engine room in January as Marvelous Nakamba is potentially unavailable until April. The midfielder required knee surgery in December that ruled him out for three to four-months. He had become a key aspect of the Villans’ plans.
But Gerrard refused to look beyond his top targets Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur, who instead joined Tottenham for €19m (£16m). Spurs may pay Juventus €6m (£5m) in add-ons.
Brighton wanted double Aston Villa bid for Bissouma transfer
Aston Vila explored reigniting their interest in signing Bissouma from Brighton on transfer deadline day, per The Telegraph (31/01, 10:31). The Seagulls had already rejected their bid worth £25m earlier in the window, before attentions turned to Bentancur’s availability.
Brighton’s valuation also priced Newcastle out of a January deal for Bissouma to join their survival bid. The Athletic reported the Magpies felt the Seagulls star was ‘too expensive’ even for their Saudi-backed budget. The Toon signed Bruno Guimares for £35m instead.
Gerrard will hope Bissouma’s contract entering its final 12-months helps lower Brighton’s valuation nearer to Aston Villa’s transfer range. Thus potentially allowing the Villans to sign a midfield technician who Ian Wright enthuses about.
“Bissouma at Brighton, for me he’s sensational,” he said on his Wrighty’s House Podcast. “You watch him this week [against Watford in August] and his numbers, he had eight ball recoveries, two take-ons, five out of six tackles, five interceptions.
“Watch his highlights. He’s an exceptional six, an exceptional eight and an exceptional 10. He does all of those roles. He is absolutely brilliant.”
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