Yves Bissouma SINGS on a 5 (five) year deal

[Rogero]

We must cheer him even louder now as he seems to soak it up. He loves doing his little dance in the North East corner.We must give Potter credit for improving him as the difference in his play is amazing. If only he could shoot.

 

[Stat Brother]

Agreed. Tony Bloom model shows Bissouma is potentially the blueprint for the kind of investment we want to make, letting him go on a free would be a disaster.

Which is why it won't happen but humour me here, we're going on a fair few massive leaps of faith.

Thanks in no small part to Biss the Albion finish this season 10th and sell The Tross for £50m.
Go on again, in no small part to Biss, to Europa League qualification and sell Webster for £50m.

Would going on a free still be a disaster?


That said giving him away while we slump to relegation could be a bit of a snaffoo.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

No one wants to pay money for a defensive midfielder.

Just look at Kante who was instrumental in Leicesters PL victory. Chelsea bought him for £32m.

Clubs know that Brighton deservedly want a lot of money for Bissouma but they are not willing to pay it.

Besides getting a great defensive midfielder, there are no other pros with signing one. Wont give the club any new fat sponsorships. Wont sell any merchandise. The fans are unlikely to appreciate it as much as they should: plenty of people have no idea of what happens in between the two penalty areas. Just look at the "Player of the season" thread here from this spring. Bissouma made world class performances week out week in, yet... "hmm... I'll vote Joel Veltman". The people who are in charge of the bank accounts in various clubs are often no more knowledgable than that. Can he score a goal? Great, I pay up. Can he clear the goal line? I'll pay up. "Midfielders... what do they really do?".

Hopefully this means the decrease in value is also less than in other positions.

Hmm, I'd say the people in charge of recruitment at Man U, Chelsea etc know enough about football to recognise the value of a world class CM.

The reason I think we didn't get offers is more to do with there being a decent number of players in that position who are also gettable. Quite a few of these clubs are holding out for Rice or Phillips in the next window or two and know if they can't get them, well Camavinga or Niguez will have smaller transfer fees

 

[Sarisbury Seagull]

No one wants to pay money for a defensive midfielder.

Just look at Kante who was instrumental in Leicesters PL victory. Chelsea bought him for £32m.

Clubs know that Brighton deservedly want a lot of money for Bissouma but they are not willing to pay it.

Besides getting a great defensive midfielder, there are no other pros with signing one. Wont give the club any new fat sponsorships. Wont sell any merchandise. The fans are unlikely to appreciate it as much as they should: plenty of people have no idea of what happens in between the two penalty areas. Just look at the "Player of the season" thread here from this spring. Bissouma made world class performances week out week in, yet... "hmm... I'll vote Joel Veltman". The people who are in charge of the bank accounts in various clubs are often no more knowledgable than that. Can he score a goal? Great, I pay up. Can he clear the goal line? I'll pay up. "Midfielders... what do they really do?".

Hopefully this means the decrease in value is also less than in other positions.

But the Kante deal was a year before the Neymar and Mbappe moves which distorted and changed the transfer market forever. If that Kante move at the age he was then happened now, it would be for two/three times that amount.

Also, to call Bissouma a defensive midfielder does him a bit of a disservice, he is that and then some. Plus with his personality and his all action style, he does add a commercial edge and fan excitement I feel. He is no doubt one of the most talked about players in the PL. The amount of fans of other clubs who mention him is amazing, they all want him and he's always talked about on podcasts and radio shows. Like Lamptey when he was playing.

I'm astonished a massive club didn't come in with a huge bid in the summer but it's definitely our gain. He's playing the game at a different level to everyone else on the pitch at the moment. He would improve every side in Europe, they've all missed a trick.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

I genuinely believe we could have kept Yves longer term. Had we landed a top striker, maybe a Nunez or someone and made a statement that we're not always content just to be 16th, I think he'd have bought into the project.

Not having a moan up. I know it's not my money. We've gone down a different path, but it is a much longer route to getting up the league as players like Yves will inevitably not want to wait another 5 years for us to heave ourselves gradually up the league.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

But the Kante deal was a year before the Neymar and Mbappe moves which distorted and changed the transfer market forever. If that Kante move at the age he was then happened now, it would be for two/three times that amount.

Also, to call Bissouma a defensive midfielder does him a bit of a disservice, he is that and then some. Plus with his personality and his all action style, he does add a commercial edge and fan excitement I feel. He is no doubt one of the most talked about players in the PL. The amount of fans of other clubs who mention him is amazing, they all want him and he's always talked about on podcasts and radio shows. Like Lamptey when he was playing.

I'm astonished a massive club didn't come in with a huge bid in the summer but it's definitely our gain. He's playing the game at a different level to everyone else on the pitch at the moment. He would improve every side in Europe, they've all missed a trick.

Agree with this

Yves will be massively popular with any club who signs him. He's as charismatic as he is brilliant on the pitch. I do wonder if the one weakness in his game, his fairly scattergun shooting is what has put off some of the big clubs though.

 

[Stat Brother]

Agree with this

Yves will be massively popular with any club who signs him. He's as charismatic as he is brilliant on the pitch. I do wonder if the one weakness in his game, his fairly scattergun shooting is what has put off some of the big clubs though.

I doubt it's his shooting that would be holding back the big boys from offering stooopid money.
If anything it would be his 'need' to shoot instead of recycling the ball that might be of concern.

There ain't much else it can be.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I genuinely believe we could have kept Yves longer term. Had we landed a top striker, maybe a Nunez or someone and made a statement that we're not always content just to be 16th, I think he'd have bought into the project.

Not having a moan up. I know it's not my money. We've gone down a different path, but it is a much longer route to getting up the league as players like Yves will inevitably not want to wait another 5 years for us to heave ourselves gradually up the league.

I think you are kidding yourself, either about the Albion's ultimate potential, or about just how good Yves Bissouma is.

With astute signings, and incremental improvements, the Albion could, one day challenge for a Europa League spot. Maybe reach a cup final. those would be fantastic achievements for us, and we'd all rightly be celebrating them wildly.

An occasional seventh place finish in the Premier League, and a Carabao cup final, are not what Bissouma will dream of, or what his massive talent deserves. He's too good not to be playing in the Champions League at a club challenging for titles.

Just enjoy him, while he's here.

 

[Swansman]

I genuinely believe we could have kept Yves longer term. Had we landed a top striker, maybe a Nunez or someone and made a statement that we're not always content just to be 16th, I think he'd have bought into the project.

Not having a moan up. I know it's not my money. We've gone down a different path, but it is a much longer route to getting up the league as players like Yves will inevitably not want to wait another 5 years for us to heave ourselves gradually up the league.

Silly.

He would turn down the chance to make 10x the money, win titles, trophies, glory in a top class team because someone signed up a substitute from Benfica?

No chance. When world class players play in clubs that are not world class teams, they leave sooner or later.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

The other slightly worrying thing from Biss' interview, was that he brought up his hopes of playing and winning things, with his country.

He hasn't played for Mali for a while (some kind of falling out, I think) and we'd really rather he doesn't seek to rebuild that relationship in the next few months - or we will be without our best player for all of January, while he is at the Africa Cup of Nations...

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

I think you are kidding yourself, either about the Albion's ultimate potential, or about just how good Yves Bissouma is.

With astute signings, and incremental improvements, the Albion could, one day challenge for a Europa League spot. Maybe reach a cup final. those would be fantastic achievements for us, and we'd all rightly be celebrating them wildly.

An occasional seventh place finish in the Premier League, and a Carabao cup final, are not what Bissouma will dream of, or what his massive talent deserves. He's too good not to be playing in the Champions League at a club challenging for titles.

Just enjoy him, while he's here.

That's what I think as well. Interesting that none came in for him though. Heads of recruitment of ESL:clubs seem less sure than the BHA fanbase. I'm sure all our young players dream of such things.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

That's what I think as well. Interesting that none came in for him though. Heads of recruitment of ESL:clubs seem less sure than the BHA fanbase. I'm sure all our young players dream of such things.

It is interesting. You don't actually KNOW that was the case, though.

It is very widely rumoured that Liverpool (and Arsenal), and according to some reports, Real Madrid, have shown an interest. It is not at all unlikely that clubs made informal approaches to sound us out, regards availability / price - but were completely rebuffed, or put off by the figures. I would GUESS that the Ben White windfall, enabled the Albion to pull down the shutters, or to play hardball and quote something utterly ridiculous.

 

[Bakero]

Hmm, I'd say the people in charge of recruitment at Man U, Chelsea etc know enough about football to recognise the value of a world class CM.

The reason I think we didn't get offers is more to do with there being a decent number of players in that position who are also gettable. Quite a few of these clubs are holding out for Rice or Phillips in the next window or two and know if they can't get them, well Camavinga or Niguez will have smaller transfer fees

Saúl, maybe. But Camamvinga? The wonderkid who scored on his Real Madrid debut the other day?

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

It is interesting. You don't actually KNOW that was the case, though.

It is very widely rumoured that Liverpool (and Arsenal), and according to some reports, Real Madrid, have shown an interest. It is not at all unlikely that clubs made informal approaches to sound us out, regards availability / price - but were completely rebuffed, or put off by the figures. I would GUESS that the Ben White windfall, enabled the Albion to pull down the shutters, or to play hardball and quote something utterly ridiculous.

I don't know it. Possible that an offer came in was rejected and none of this was leaked. Unlikely. Informal enquiries mean nothing. Clubs will do this to 100s of players

More likely is that the CL clubs are biding their time. They have a cluster in mind, Biss is one of them, but also players like Rice and Phillips, a load of others from the continent who are all in a similar bracket. It's quite possible that there are more £50m midfielders on the move in the next 12 months than there are clubs willing to pay £50m.

I wasn't resigned to Yves being with us longer term before the transfer window shut, but I think we'd need to be demonstrating more desire to get into the top half sooner rather than later. It was a small chance, but a chance.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

Saúl, maybe. But Camamvinga? The wonderkid who scored on his Real Madrid debut the other day?

For a fee of under £30m, presumably because from a weaker league

Yves would likely be double that had he gone summer 2021.

 

[Stat Brother]

It is interesting. You don't actually KNOW that was the case, though.

It is very widely rumoured that Liverpool (and Arsenal), and according to some reports, Real Madrid, have shown an interest. It is not at all unlikely that clubs made informal approaches to sound us out, regards availability / price - but were completely rebuffed, or put off by the figures. I would GUESS that the Ben White windfall, enabled the Albion to pull down the shutters, or to play hardball and quote something utterly ridiculous.

Despite [MENTION=12935]GT49er[/MENTION]'s complete inability to understand the concept, the last time this came up, it has to be that.

In the last window an Albion player was being sold for big money.
We all assumed it would be Biss, when it turned out to be BW to Arsenal, the club must have been able to say:-

'you can have him but the price has just skyrocketed'.


There's been nothing to suggest Biss isn't happy here, compliant with the deal.

The only piece of the jigsaw missing is the contract extension - which tbh I expected by now.

 

[Icy Gull]

Every time this thread is bounced I am expecting to see a contract extension announced, my disappointment runs and runs

 

[Bakero]

For a fee of under £30m, presumably because from a weaker league

Yves would likely be double that had he gone summer 2021.

Right, but that doesn't mean a club that don't get Rice in the next window can pick him up on the cheap. He's a starter for Real Madrid.

 

[Whitechapel]

The other slightly worrying thing from Biss' interview, was that he brought up his hopes of playing and winning things, with his country.

He hasn't played for Mali for a while (some kind of falling out, I think) and we'd really rather he doesn't seek to rebuild that relationship in the next few months - or we will be without our best player for all of January, while he is at the Africa Cup of Nations...

It’s worth noting that whilst not ideal, the ACON would mean we ‘only’ lose him for two league games - the other two weeks are fa cup ties.

For a fee of under £30m, presumably because from a weaker league

Yves would likely be double that had he gone summer 2021.

He was out of contract at the end of the season and made it very clear he wouldn’t be signing a new one. He’s arguably the best young player in the world behind Haaland, as good as Biss is he’s not quite on the same level.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

Right, but that doesn't mean a club that don't get Rice in the next window can pick him up on the cheap. He's a starter for Real Madrid.

We were talking about midfield players who CL clubs might or might not have bought in the last transfer window. He was an option for a number of top teams as was Yves, Locatelli, Niguez and a lot of other players. Some went some didn't.