Have Arsenal missed a trick by allowing Yves Bissouma to join Spurs?

UK Gooners awoke to the rather grating news of Tottenham’s move for Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma on Tuesday morning. The Mali international had teased a switch to the Emirates on Instagram, but Arsenal had only been vaguely linked. 

The club are seeking to sign a midfielder this summer who’s capable of competing with and eventually usurping Granit Xhaka for the left-sided midfield role in Mikel Arteta’s 4-3-3. Leicester’s Youri Tielemans is understandably the club’s priority, and it seems as if Arsenal will be able to get that deal over the line, but Bissouma was nonetheless an intriguing possibility for an alternate function.

The Brighton star is poised to switch the South Coast for north London, but he’ll instead be plying his trade for Antonio Conte, not Arteta. Bissouma is an archetypal Conte midfielder: athletic, robust and technically secure. It’s utterly depressing to see those folk from down the road snag a player of Bissouma’s talent for a mere £25m.

Spurs have taken advantage of the midfielder’s contract situation at Brighton, and are playing with fire regarding his sexual assault case. Bissouma was arrested last October and is yet to be cleared. So, there is a caveat to this deal and it’s perhaps why potential suitors such as Arsenal put off a move.

But, if Spurs’ gamble pays off, then Conte & Co will soon reap the rewards on the pitch. Bissouma has been a standout for the Seagulls since he joined from Lille in 2018 and is certainly ready to take the next step in his career. Champions League football now beckons with the Lilywhites.

Have Arsenal missed a trick by not making a more serious push to sign Yves Bissouma?

Despite the noted caveats, it’s frustrating to see Arsenal not make a more serious push to sign the Brighton man. Sure, he might not be ideal for the left-sided #8 role, but he would’ve provided more than ample cover for Thomas Partey in the single pivot. Bissouma is a physical behemoth and a monster defensively. Only Luke Ayling (108) made more tackles than the Mali international (104) during the 2020/21 season and while Bissouma dropped down to 13th in the tackles chart last time out, he only appeared in 26 league games for the Seagulls.

The midfielder, though, also shines with the ball and his press resistance has been a key aspect of Brighton’s build-up play under Graham Potter. Bissouma is comfortable receiving the ball in the tightest of areas with multiple players around him, but he trusts his technique, ball manipulation and Brighton’s coherent possession structure to persistently get himself out of trouble.

And while the midfielder wouldn’t have usurped Partey at Arsenal right away, Bissouma represents a quality depth option at the base of midfield. If Partey’s perpetual injury woes continued into 2022/23, Gooners could’ve been reassured by the imposing presence of the Malian midfielder – who could be described as a Partey-lite.

But, it appears as if Arsenal will head into next season with the overly cautious Mohamed Elneny and the talented but raw Albert Sambi Lokonga as Partey’s understudies. Tielemans could also be an option for Arteta as a #6 should he eventually join this summer, but the Belgian endured difficulties in that role at Leicester.

Nevertheless, Spurs’ move for Bissouma is hardly disastrous for Arsenal, who never made a serious push for the 25-year-old. But, the Gooner Bissouma will undoubtedly improve the club’s bitterest rivals and he would’ve been a handy option for Arteta in two midfield roles.