IS YVES BISSOUMA THE CDM MANCHESTER UNITED NEED?

Brighton's Bissouma could prove to be a clever acquisition by Manchester United

Manchester United have joined the race for Brighton midfielder, Yves Bissouma. United have a plethora of midfielders at their disposal, yet lack a specialist CDM apart from Nemanja Matic. The Red Devils would be eager to not miss out on an opportunity to sign one of the most sought-after talents.

Who is Yves Bissouma?

The 24-year-old Malian professional plays as a central midfielder for PL club Brighton and Hove Albion and the Mali National team. Yves started his career at the Majestic SC Academy in 2009, where he played with Adama Traore. He joined AS Real Bamako in 2014.

Lille

Bissouma got his first real break at LOSC Lille

Bissouma joined Lille OSC from AS Real Bamako in 2016. He signed his first professional contract with the club after 4 months of joining for a duration of 3 years. During his time, He appeared in 57 games, scoring 4, assisting 2. 

Brighton & Hove Albion

In the course of 2 yrs, Bissouma has become Brighton's best midfielder

Bissouma transferred to West Bromwich in the summer of 2018 for €17m on a 5-year contract. Yves made his debut on the opening day of the 2018/19 PL season. Bissouma scored his first Albion Goal on his FA Cup debut in a 3-1 win against Bournemouth. He has appeared for 81 games, scoring 4 times and assisting 1. 

International Career

Bissouma on international duty with Mali

Born in Ivory Coast and raised in Mali, Bissouma participated in the 2016 African nations Championship with Mali. He scored the decisive goal for a 1-0 win in the 89th minute during the Semi-Final against Ivory Coast. In total, He played 16 games, scoring 3 times for his national team.

Style of Play

Bissouma - The Destroyer

Yves is a central defensive midfielder. He plays as a number 8 but possesses box-to-box abilities. He covers a lot of ground in the central area's. He has an engine and work rate which allows him to cover ground quickly and is heavily utilized in attack and defence. In possession, he is tasked with dropping deep and assisting in the build-up.

In defence, he is often used to break up play as he is able to recover quite well and tackle aggressively. He has 2.86 tackles per game; 1.50 interceptions and 1.55 clearances per game. He is capable of making extraordinary dribbles(1.5 pg) but also intelligently able to leverage his combination of physical prowess and technical talent. Out of 1001 passes, he has a passing rate of 87% per game. 

What does he bring to Manchester United?

Solskjaer has only 1 recognised CDM in an ageing Matic

Manchester United view Bissouma as a potential replacement for Paul Pogba, who has been highly linked with an exit from Old Trafford. The club would are also looking for a long term replacement for the veteran midfielder, Nemanja Matic. Yves role as a pivot makes him an ideal replacement.

Bissouma is valued at €13.00mn according to TransferMarkt. Although Brighton would be looking for a sale in the region of €30-40mn, which is a decent amount for a player of his quality and for someone who comes with Premier League experience. Bissouma would be a much cheaper and viable option as compared to Declan Rice, who's valued at €100mn by West Ham.