Liverpool have identified Yves Bissouma as a potential replacement for Gini Wijnaldum at Anfield, with Arsenal also big admirers of the Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder, as reported by talkSPORT.
If you are not avid watchers of Graham Potter’s side – and we will assume most of you aren’t – there is a good chance this £15 million Mali international has passed you by.
But, while Brighton fans won’t be keen to see another of their key players join Ben White in the gossip columns, they will tell you that Bissouma deserves his place in the spotlight.
A confident, classy and increasingly consistent performer, the 24-year-old possesses so many of the attributes Jurgen Klopp and Mikel Arteta look for in a midfielder.
And while it is Bissouma’s ability and ambition on the ball that has made him one of the first names on Graham Potter’s team-sheet, the former Lille star is equally efficient out of possession.
He made a remarkable eight tackles, the most of anyone on the pitch, as Brighton held Liverpool to a 1-1 draw at the Amex on Saturday.
Perhaps it was that tireless performance which earned him the admiration of Jurgen Klopp.
talkSPORT suggests that Bissouma, who will surely command a much higher fee than £15 million these days, may be viewed by the champions as a player capable of stepping into Wijnaldum’s £75,000-a-week shoes when the Dutchman’s contract expires in 2021.
There is another Premier League midfielder Bissouma has often been likened to, however (Guardian).
And he did those Paul Pogba comparisons no harm at all with that scorching volley against Burnley on the final day of 2019/20.
The report adds that Arsenal boss Arteta is also a big fan.
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