With Yves Bissouma reportedly close to a move to Tottenham this summer (Guardian), it would only be right to delve deeper and see what exactly the Mali international will bring to the squad ahead of next season.
Spurs fans woke up to a pleasant surprise when checking their phones this morning, with The Times reporting how Spurs are set to complete their third signing of the summer with an agreement in place for Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma.
The midfielder is a player the club have reportedly been looking at ever since the departure of Mousa Dembele in 2018 (The Times).
The fee of the transfer is speculated to be around £25m, with a medical is scheduled for Thursday. Yves Bissouma’s arrival should be exciting for all Spurs fans across the world, as a Premier League-proven and consistent central midfielder.
His introduction into the centre of the pitch will add a solid amount of depth and competition to the squad as Spurs face a busy schedule due to the club’s qualification for the Champions League this season.
Both tackling and intercepting have been his stand-out assets for Brighton over the last couple of seasons with the midfielder averaging a tackle or interception every 18.1 minutes (Squawka).
These are key aspects of Bissouma’s game and his awareness will become crucial when kickstarting attacks next season. As seen last year, the way in which Conte’s front three can punish teams on the counterattack will play straight into Bissouma’s hands.
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Bissouma dribbles well into open spaces and his composure allows his team to maintain possession well in difficult positions.
Conte may have a decision to make when Bissouma joins the club due to the recent arrival of Rodrigo Bentancur. Over pre season, the Italian will look to identify his strongest midfield two, with players such as Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Oliver Skipp also being options for the manager.
Bissouma made more tackles per 90 minutes than any of Tottenham’s central midfield options last season, with 3.2. Hojbjerg managed 2.2, Skipp 2.2, Bentancur 2.4 and Winks 1.5 (Football Daily).
The Brighton man also recorded the same number of assists as Hojbjerg with two, only beaten by Bentancur on four. Meanwhile, all five options boasted a passing accuracy of between 88% and 90%.
Bissouma shines brightest when it comes to interceptions per 90 minutes, with his 2.1 compared to Hojbjerg who managed 1.3, Skipp 0.8, Bentancur 1.3 and Winks 1.6.
Perhaps, a Mali-England duo could be strong partnership in the midfield with Bissouma intercepting and Skipp moving the ball onto the forwards or wing backs.
Tottenham’s work in the transfer market so far this window has centred around bringing in old, experienced members into the dressing room, with the likes of Ivan Perisic and Fraser Forster putting pen to paper.
However, with the addition of Yves Bissouma, who is 25, and the possibility of the arrival of Djed Spence, who is 21 (Athletic), Paratici and Conte have the balance between experience and the future perfected.
Christian Eriksen is another player that Spurs are quietly confident about this summer (Times) with an emotional reunion still being on the cards.
All in all, if the Bissouma deal goes through, it could be the signing of the summer window so far, especially at such a cheap price.
Bissouma will no doubt improve the quality of the Tottenham squad and this move from Paratici issues a strong statement to instil fear in rival clubs.
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