Bissouma

Bissouma, a Mali international, has been with Brighton since 2018 and started 25 Premier League games in the 2021-22 season. The former Lille player, who will ...

Bissouma, a Mali international, has been with Brighton since 2018 and started 25 Premier League games in the 2021-22 season. Leeds have struck a deal to buy the defensive midfielder Marc Roca from Bayern Munich for €12m plus €2m in add-ons. The former Lille player, who will be 26 in August, was unavailable for six league matches because of suspension and the Africa Cup of Nations.

Tottenham are close to securing their third summer signing in Yves Bissouma and the Mali international could hand Antonio Conte a Champions League boost ...

Whether Bissouma's main role is in the league or in the various other competitions, the Italian will rely on him to step-up when required and Potter's admission indicates he could do just that. Either way the midfielder will be a key part of Conte's squad. Whether Bissouma is a regular starter or takes some time to settle in at Tottenham isn't likely to be answered until next season. The Mali international has great quality in providing a link between defence and attack, something Tottenham sometimes lacked last season. This is likely to lead Winks out of the door this summer, with already reported interest from Everton. The Italian will be hoping Bissouma can do the same, if he does complete the move to Spurs.

TOTTENHAM look set to announce Yves Bissouma as their third signing of the summer transfer window.

Like Bissouma, Tielemans also has just 12 months remaining on his contract and would be available for a cut-price fee. It comes as a bitter blow to Arsenal, with the Gunners yet to make any new signings this summer. His social media activity sparked strong reaction from Arsenal fans with many appearing positive about the prospect of him joining.

Tottenham Hotspur have agreed a fee in excess of £25 million with add-ons with Brighton & Hove Albion for the Mali international Yves Bissouma.The...

Will Spurs suddenly spend big on players? Will Spurs suddenly spend big on players? Charlie Eccleshare and Jack Pitt-Brooke

By now you've seen the news that Tottenham Hotspur are close to an agreement with Brighton & Hove Albion for the transfer of Mali international midfielder ...

There is no place on this team for sexual predators, and even the slim possibility that Spurs may sign one is abhorrent to me, and should be to all supporters. It is NOT the responsibility of supporters to assume the best. It is this very ambiguity that is the heart of the issue for me, and why at this time I would feel deeply uncomfortable with Tottenham Hotspur proceeding with this signing. I want to be able to enjoy watching Bissouma play without wondering if he has done something wrong, because football is more than just watching players on the pitch. Think about what it means for Tottenham fans — or football fans in general — who are survivors of sexual assault and who see a player still under suspicion of that crime joining their club. I want to believe that Tottenham, which has outwardly shown support for marginalized supporter groups and good causes in the past, has done its due diligence here and that as fans we can assume the best about what this signing means for the club. And if they are NOT able to do so, then the club has no business trying to sign Bissouma and should look elsewhere for a midfield reinforcement. Because of this ambiguity, I am deliberately trying not to draw any conclusions other than what has been reported by the police and in the media. But if they ARE able to do so, the club absolutely must address supporters with all due haste to give some assurances that they know what they’re doing. Bissouma was not charged with a crime from what happened in October, but he very notably was not fully released from suspicion, and has yet to be. I am not an expert on legal issues in the United Kingdom. I know that libel laws in the UK are strict, and that is almost certainly why Bissouma’s status has not been addressed fully in the media. He’s a player that I’ve watched and whose play I’ve admired for a couple of seasons now, and if this signing were taking place purely in a football context then it would be a hugely exciting one.

Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Yves Bissouma could be set for a move to Tottenham Hotspur after reports that Antonio Conte is closing in on a £25m deal ...

Bissouma’s expected arrival at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium would see him reinforce an area Conte has been keen to improve. The arrest took place in October and whilst Bissouma was released pending investigation there hasn’t been an update since April. Bissouma joined Brighton from Lille for £13m back in 2018 and his impressive performances at the heart of the midfield have seen him linked to a number of big Premier League clubs in recent years, with Liverpool and Arsenal said to have considered bids last summer while Aston Villa failed in their attempts to prise him away from the Amex Stadium in the winter window.

Yves Bissouma may be a talented footballer, but his ongoing sexual assault case means Arsenal have correctly decided against pursuing the midfielder.

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. £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. Depth is important but, in this situation, the cost is far more than the £25m Spurs are spending. 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. That’d be some contradiction of the ‘Arsenal for Everyone’ mantra. But, a reminder of how terrible this would be is not a bad thing.