Tottenham Hotspur have looked to bolster their midfield options after agreeing a £25m deal for Brighton & Hove Albion’s Yves Bissouma, according to multiple reports.
The 25-year-old midfielder would be the third addition to Antonio Conte’s squad this summer following the arrivals of Ivan Perisic and Fraser Forster.
Mali international, Bissouma has just 12 months to run on his current deal with the Seagulls and Graham Potter’s side seem set to cash in.
Brighton are believed to want a fee in the region of £30m although Tottenham are confident they can finalise a deal nearer to their valuation, with no issues over personal terms expected.
It will see Spurs finally get their man following interest back in January and would be a statement of the club’s intent given the announcement last month that the owners would be putting forward £150m to bolster the playing staff this summer.
Bissouma joined Brighton from Lille for £13m back in 2018 and his impressive performances at the heart of the midfield have seen him linked to a number of big Premier League clubs in recent years, with Liverpool and Arsenal said to have considered bids last summer while Aston Villa failed in their attempts to prise him away from the Amex Stadium in the winter window.
One thing that must be pointed out when discussing Bissouma is that he is part of an ongoing police investigation. The arrest took place in October and whilst Bissouma was released pending investigation there hasn’t been an update since April.
A statement from Sussex Police on April 6 said: “A man in his forties from Brighton who was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault has had his conditional bail extended until Monday 6 June.
“A man in his twenties, also from Brighton, who was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault, has been released under investigation while inquiries continue.
“No further information is available at this time.”
Bissouma kept playing for Brighton and was released to play in the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations.
Bissouma’s expected arrival at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium would see him reinforce an area Conte has been keen to improve. The Italian coach brought in Rodrigo Bentancur in January and is content with the options Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Oliver Skipp provide.
Conte is also believed to have two reinforcements for his defence, an additional creative midfielder and a forward on his wish-list.
