Brighton’s Yves Bissouma remains Aston Villa’s number one midfield target with the Premier League club planning another bid ahead of the summer transfer window, according to The Athletic.
Few at the Amex will look back on Saturday’s 3-1 FA Cup fourth-round defeat to Tottenham Hotspur with much fondness.
Brighton were a shadow of their often-brilliant best away to a Harry Kane-inspired Spurs side; error-prone at the back and wasteful in attack.
But, in Yves Bissouma, Graham Potter has a player capable of turning a game on it’s head with one swing of his boot. Tottenham were 2-0 up and cruising before the former Lille ace halved their advantage just after half-time, thumping a deflected long-range shot past Hugo Lloris after a trademark driving run into the final third.
At times, Bissouma threatened to take Tottenham apart all on his own.
Grabbing an occasion by the proverbial ‘scruff of the neck’, in a manner not to dissimilar to the way Steven Gerrard used to do during his rampaging Anfield heyday.
Will Gerrard bring Yves Bissouma to Aston Villa?
It is no secret that Aston Villa want to add a new midfielder to their ranks.
Gerrard even confirmed, earlier this week, that Villa had a bid for Bissouma rejected during the January transfer window, one rumoured to be in the region of £35 million (Athletic).
That is some £10 million less than Brighton were demanding for a player who has also caught the eye of Liverpool and Arsenal in recent months.
According to The Athletic, Aston Villa could come calling again in the summer. By them, Bissouma will have just 12 months left on his contract. Brighton may have no choice but to drop their asking price.
“I’ve said for a long time that Bissouma is a top-class player,” Gunners legend Ray Parlour tells talkSPORT. “I would love to see him at Arsenal.
“I think he’s got everything. He’s efficient on the ball, he can put his foot in as well, he can pass.
“He probably could score a few more goals I should imagine, but he’s not in the position to score goals. He’s the one that is going to keep everything ticking.”
Aston Villa missed out on Rodrigo Bentancur to Premier League rivals Tottenham last month. They’ve been linked with Glen Kamara and Dan Neil too.
Last summer, Villa also submitted a £10 million bid for Lens enforcer Cheick Doucoure.
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