Tottenham Hotspur are now expected to pay more than the initial £25m reported in their proposed deal for Yves Bissouma.
This is what journalist Alex Crook has suggested when speaking about the reported deal for the 25-year-old midfielder.
On Tuesday, reports of an agreement between Spurs and Brighton & Hove Albion were revealed, with The Times believing the north Londoners were set to part with £25m for the Mali international.
Bissouma has just one year remaining on his deal at the Amex Stadium but he is now expected to undergo a medical at Hotspur Way on Thursday to complete his move.
However, speaking on TalkSport, Crook has revealed his knowledge of the deal, claiming Spurs are likely to end up spending over £30m once add-ons are considered:
He said: “I’ve been told it’s more than £30m with the add-ons. I think it’ll be around about £24m/£25m upfront. A medical, I believe, has been pencilled in for Thursday. And this is Tottenham again getting their business done early.
“This is Antonio Conte being backed in the window, and I’ll tell you what, in Yves Bissouma, he has got a player there. I’ve seen him a lot for Brighton over the years. He has the potential to go right to the very top.”
TIF Thoughts on Crook’s comments…
Even if Spurs do end up spending more than the initially reported £25m for the Brighton midfielder, we still feel it is a great addition to Antonio Conte’s squad.
Should Bissouma start ahead of Hojbjerg?
Yes
No
Last season, Bissouma averaged 3.2 tackles per 90 minutes in the Premier League; in comparison, Rodrigo Bentancur recorded 2.4 and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg 2.2 (via Sky Sports).
With a lot of games to contend with next season and a World Cup in the middle of the campaign, squad rotation will likely be huge for Conte, so adding a player of Bissouma’s quality feels like a huge boost.