Arsenal are prepared to rival Liverpool in the race to sign Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Yves Bissouma in January.
According to Fichajes, Arsenal have become the latest club to join the pursuit of Yves Bissouma. The Brighton & Hove Albion starlet is currently one of the most in-demand midfielders in the Premier League, owing to his successful performances at the Amex over the past couple of years.
Liverpool were in pole position to secure the services of Bissouma, in the upcoming January transfer window. But it appears they are set to be rivalled by Arsenal, as the race to sign the Malian international gets underway.
Formerly of LOSC Lille, Bissouma has notched up over 100 competitive appearances for Brighton since joining the club in 2018. The youngster has made quite an impression with his aggression, physique and ability to dominate the opposition with his technical prowess, effectively making him one of the best midfielders in the league.
Bissouma’s work ethic had made him an appealing target for Liverpool, who are on the hunt for a new midfielder that can replace Georgiinio Wijnaldum. Liverpool are starting to have doubts over the performances of Thiago as well, with the former Bayern Munich man being earlier linked with a swap deal involving him and Franck Kessie.
As for Arsenal, their pursuit of the Brighton midfielder stems from the club’s lack of depth in the middle of the park. Thomas Partey has done well to retain his fitness so far, but aside from him and Granit Xhaka, Mikel Arteta lacks a trusted option in midfield.
Both Albert Sambi Lokonga and Ainsley Maitland-Niles are there to fill up the numbers, but in Bissouma, the Gunners could find themselves a proven Premier League operator who might be an ideal partner for Partey in the Arsenal midfield.
His aggression and defensive work ethic make him a tailor-made fit for Arteta’s defence-oriented, and highly disciplined tactical setup. However, Bissouma has made it clear that he wants to play regularly in the Champions League once he joins a bigger club and that is where Liverpool might get the upper hand.
Liverpool are in a much better position to offer the Malian international, the regular involvement in the coveted tournament whereas Arsenal are still in the process of trying to become a top-four club once after a few years of mediocrity that followed, after the departure of Arsene Wenger.
