According to CalcioMercato, Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Yves Bissouma is close to joining Arsenal.
The Gunners are on the market looking for a new central midfielder. Mikel Arteta currently has Thomas Partey, Granit Xhaka, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Mohamed Elneny in the middle of the park, but the Arsenal boss is keen to add another player into the mix.
If the latest report is to be believed, Brighton and Mali star Bissouma is the man who’s the closest to making a move to the Emirates this summer.
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Yves Bissouma is close to joining Arsenal
Bissouma has been one of Brighton’s standout players in the Premier League over the last two years. Still only 25, the Mali international has seriously impressed everyone, and he’s attracting a lot of interest now.
The report claims that Jose Mourinho, who recently won the UEFA Conference League with AS Roma, is keen to sign Bissouma. The Giallorossi’s sporting director, Tiago Pinto, tried to give the Special One what he wanted, but that deal isn’t going to happen.
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It has been confidently claimed by the Italian outlet that Bissouma has moved away from Roma’s sights because he’s close to joining Arteta’s side and is ‘destined to play next season at Arsenal’.
The Insider’s View:
We at Arsenal Insider have always been massive fans of Bissouma. We wanted him at the Emirates last summer when it looked almost certain that Granit Xhaka would move to the Italian capital.
Bissouma is still a fantastic player and he’d be a fine signing, in our opinion, but we have the feeling that Arteta is looking for someone a lot more attack-minded than the Mali international.
That is probably the reason why we have been heavily linked with a move for Leicester City star Youri Tielemans, who may not be as defensively aware as Bissouma, but is an extraordinary player with the ball at his feet.
It will be interesting to see who Arteta will go with, but as things stand, we have a feeling it’ll be Tielemans.
