Arsenal Boss Mikel Arteta ‘Big Fan’ of Yves Bissouma

Would Yves Bissouma Suit Arsenal?

Yes, he would.

Our laborious, slow midfield lacks athleticism without Thomas Partey, and while Bissouma is not as fine-tuned as the Ghanaian, he’s nevertheless hugely combative, relentless and solid across all facets.

A battling presence in the heart of midfield, he’s also an underrated at ball progression, albeit not his best trait. It’s his fierce nature on the pitch and ability to cover every blade of grass that are the most impressive.

Good tackling qualities, either from standing or on the ground, when losing possession he’s quick to recover it.

That can be said regarding a number of midfielders in the Premier League, yet it’s the pace and mobility that Bissouma possesses which stand him out from, for example, the current Arsenal crop. Dani Ceballos and Granit Xhaka can’t run. They just can’t.

It’s noticeable when Partey plays that his midfield partner looks immediately more solid. With Mohamed Elneny, the Egyptian is better covered by his partner which allows him to be more daring on the ball and less heavily closed down. Bissouma could add similar dependency.