Arsenal have made the right choice to not pursue Yves Bissouma

Arsenal fans have been losing their minds today with news of Tottenham’s move for Yves Bissouma arriving on our Twitter timelines. Arsenal have been long linked with the Mali midfielder so with a deal being announced to our rivals for just £25m, fans are not happy.

However, I see this as fantastic news for the Gunners for several reasons. The biggest and most important reason is that Bissouma is still under legal investigation for sexual assault. I do not think I have to explain why it is a good thing that Arsenal are not signing a player that’s being investigated for this kind of crime. But, a reminder of how terrible this would be is not a bad thing.

If Arsenal were to sign Bissouma and then a guilty verdict was to be decided, it would be awful for Arsenal Football Club. Not only would it destroy the credibility and reputation Arsenal has as an institution, but an unwelcome environment at the club for victims of sexual assault would be established. That’d be some contradiction of the ‘Arsenal for Everyone’ mantra.

The PR nightmare that Spurs could potentially be in for if Bissouma’s case is deemed guilty would have some horrible ramifications on the image of the club worldwide. The argument “innocent until proven guilty” was used to me when I said we shouldn’t sign him and while that is true for the legal system, there must be 10,000x more discretion for a football club. £25m million is not a small amount of money to fritter away for any club and if a club spends that on a player that gets convicted, that’s essentially what they’re doing.

An example of what signing a player like this can do to an organisation is depicted with superstar quarterback DeShaun Watson and the Cleveland Browns in the NFL. After Watson was declared not guilty despite the evidence of 22 civil lawsuits against the quarterback, the Browns traded for him and gave him $230 million guaranteed. Now, more lawsuits have come forward bringing a total number to 24 with an investigation from journalists compiling evidence of his misdeeds. This move could cost many in the organisation their jobs if the league does something. Not to mention the alienation of fervent supporters. The image of the team has been greatly affected by this discission. Spurs could feel similar effects if a guilty verdict is found in Bissouma’s case.

Regarding Bissouma the player, he is talented so it is understandable why some Arsenal fans are frustrated. However, Arsenal have way bigger holes to fill and has multiple players that can play in his position. He would provide good cover for Thomas Partey if signed, but he would not start if every midfielder were healthy. Depth is important but, in this situation, the cost is far more than the £25m Spurs are spending. He starts for them and raises the quality of their midfield, but they are taking a massive risk.

Arsenal have potentially dodged a large bullet in this case. It is only a matter of time until the decision in his case is decided.

Regardless of the decision, Arsenal has made the correct choice. I also invite everyone reading this to feel empathy for those who have been victims of sexual assault, too often men in power exist in a different legal system where their heinous actions can be swept under the rug and we as a society have to do better.

Believe survivors.