In a recent interview with Give Me Sport, transfer insider Dean Jones claimed that Aston Villa might be the favourites to land Yves Bissouma from Brighton and Hove Albion. Jones said,
“They’ll have massive competition to sign Bissouma and it seems that he’s probably further along in negotiations with other clubs.
“Somebody like Aston Villa might already be in the lead with trying to get him.”
Bissouma’s Solid Run Of Form In English Football
Bissouma has enjoyed another solid campaign at the American Express Community Stadium after he put in a handful of dominant displays at the heart of Graham Potter’s midfield. The 25-year-old has found the back of the net twice and secured two assists in 28 matches for Brighton last season in all competitions.
The Mali international deserves a lot of credit for averaging 2.9 tackles, 1.9 interceptions, 1.8 clearances, 0.8 shots and 1.3 dribbles per game in the Premier League. He has even been tidy when distributing possession from midfield, based on his pass completion rate of 89.2% in the English top-flight (stats via whoscored).
Should Aston Villa Head Coach Steven Gerrard Snap Bissouma Up This Summer?
Bissouma can get stuck in with some crunching tackles to make life difficult for the opposition at the centre of the park. He is usually quick to scan the danger and can make a few crucial interceptions for his side on the defensive end of the field.
The 18-time Mali international can offer decent protection for his teammates at the back and doesn’t mind putting his foot through the ball when required. He is a tidy passer of the ball and can make some driving runs towards the opponent’s penalty box.
At 25, Bissouma’s best years are ahead of him which makes him a decent option for Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard to consider this summer. He will add plenty of bite and steel to the Villans‘ midfield and increase competition for places within their match-day squad.
We can expect Bissouma to form a dominant midfield partnership with John McGinn at Villa Park in the coming seasons. Therefore, the West Midlands club should think about snapping the Mali midfield ace up this summer.