Arsenal could land Bissouma transfer with Nketiah plus cash deal

Arsenal will have to get creative to land their targets this summer and the interest in their fringe players may play a welcome role in reducing their outlays. One of their key priorities, Yves Bissouma, could be brought in on a reduced sum with the aid of Eddie Nketiah’s impending departure.

The final day of the Premier League season brought both smiles and disappointment as a 2-0 victory over Brighton resulted in a five-match winning run to end the season, one which still proved too little too late to secure European football.

While eyes were fixed in fine performances for Nicolas Pepe and Martin Odegaard, onlooking Arsenal fans couldn’t have helped but notice another commanding display for Yves Bissouma, who despite featuring in a limp Seagulls display stood out like a sore thumb.

For all the right reasons.

Arsenal could land Yves Bissouma transfer from Brighton with Eddie Nketiah plus cash summer deal

Being the midfield destroyer he is it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking he’s not the most mobile or athletic. That he most certainly is not. On the day he galloped across the pitch majestically, made numerous crucial recovery challenges and showed his elegance on the ball with some clever press evading and driving out of the back.

As for players off the pitch there was no room for Eddie Nketiah, the story of his season. When Alexandre Lacazette was the starting centre-forward and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang continued to play on the left, there was scope for introductions for the striker as a substitute later on in matches.

He featured in some capacity in 12 of the opening 14 matches, scoring just the once, and failing to excite. The Europa League group stages were better outings for him as he netted three times, but hopes he could force his way into the starting lineup in the league dissipated following his performances from the season before.

With Brighton struggling for goals, a loan move in the January transfer window to a club such as them made absolute sense. He wasn’t getting the minutes at Arsenal, wasn’t going to either, and taking advantage of fellow sides’ desperation in the winter should have been the answer.

Nketiah stayed and barely touched the turf, with his time at Arsenal now coming to an end. With there still to be definite interest in a penalty box predator such as Nketiah, Brighton have returned to the fold with fresh summer interest.

As per south coast based journalist Aden-Jay Wood, it could be some of the most welcome news Arsenal will have all summer.

Continued…

Arsenal Could Offer Nketiah Plus Cash for Yves Bissouma

Why are academy players so important? Two very obvious reasons: they can be nurtured into first team regulars who understand, love and acknowledge the club they’re at, or they can be sold for 100% profit.

A season of disappointment for Nketiah, who spent large spells of it out of the Arsenal squad entirely and getting eliminated from the Under-21 European Championships at the group stage, his time in north London will surely come to an end.

For all clubs in the current climate at a time where the market is difficult to navigate through, when acquisitions can be made with minimal if no outlay at all, they will become increasingly enticing.

Brighton know full well that Bissouma is a prized asset and will garner them a fee in the region of around £35m=£40m, which will seriously benefit their own plans for the summer. The Malian is highly unlikely to stay. What Graham Potter needs is a goalscorer, moreover, someone to finish chances in the penalty box. They are the xG nightmare this season with huge disparity between their actual goal return and that they should have had on the scoreboard.

Nketiah isn’t the strongest with his back to goal and his link-up play can be lacking at times, but these aren’t Brighton’s issues. The Seagulls have no problem with 90% of their build-up play, they just need someone to stick the ball in the back of the net.

Thus, with interest in homegrown Nketiah, Arsenal will explore a player plus cash deal for Bissouma. It would suit the Gunners immensely. Two birds one stone, and that. Almost too good to be true. Ha.

Further concrete sources will need to emerge before any serious thought is given to it, yet there is no secret of interest in either player from the respective clubs which prompts great scope for a healthy operation.

How much is Nketiah worth? His value definitely has dropped this season but he remains only 21 years old and has his outstanding international scoring rate to fall back on, but with one year left on his deal, somewhere around the £10m-£15m mark (probably on the lower end) could make Bissouma an option for even £20m if all goes well. Now that’s a steal.