Arsenal 'confident' of winning race to sign Brighton star- Reports
Arsenal believe they will win the race to sign Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma. The defensive midfielder has been a bright spot in an otherwise poor season for Brighton and has attracted the attention of a number of the Premier League's top clubs thanks to his consistent performances.
Brighton have reportedly set a price tag of £30 million for the Mali midfielder and the Gunners are confident of getting their man, according to the Daily Star. Yves Bissouma joined Brighton from Lille in the summer of 2018. The 24-year-old has been one of the Seagulls' standout players over the last two seasons. However, the club are languishing in fourteenth place in the Premier League this year.
Bissouma, along with young right-back Tariq Lamptey and center-back Ben White, have attracted attention from a number of top Premier League teams. The defensive midfielder has been linked with a move to Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool in recent weeks.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is eager to sign a midfielder to pair with Thomas Partey at the center of the pitch. Partey has struggled to create an impact at Arsenal due to the lack of a top-quality midfield partner.
The report suggests that Arteta and the Arsenal hierarchy are huge admirers of Bissouma. The club will look to sign the defender even if they part ways with the Spaniard at the end of the season. Brighton are reportedly ready to let go of the former Lille man if their £30 million asking price is met.
Yves Bissouma could prefer a move to Tottenham or Liverpool over Arsenal
Despite being confident of securing Bissouma's signature this summer, Arsenal could still lose the race to sign the defensive midfielder. Bissouma will presumably be eager to move to a club that will be able to offer him European football next season.
Arsenal are currently eleventh in the Premier League and are unlikely to qualify for Europe unless they win the Europa League. Tottenham and Liverpool look likely to qualify for either the Europa League or Champions League this season, which could give them the upper hand during negotiations with Bissouma's representatives.