Arsenal face a major choice over their pursuit of Brighton & Hove Albion star Yves Bissouma, with Aston Villa set to return for his services.
The Gunners have long been linked with the Malian midfielder as they attempt to find an ideal partner for Thomas Partey, with Swiss international Granit Xhaka continuing to be linked with a move to Italy.
Arsenal’s interest in Bissouma continued to be a topic of conversation throughout the January transfer window but in the end, he remained at the AMEX Stadium with the Seagulls.
He could be on the move in the summer though, with Arsenal’s Premier League rivals Aston Villa set to reignite their interest according to The Telegraph.
Villa boss Steven Gerrard has already confirmed that his side had a bid rejected for Bissouma during the winter window.
Talking in a press conference ahead of Villa’s pulsating 3-3 draw with Leeds United on Wednesday, the former Liverpool man said: "It was well documented that we put in a bid for [Yves] Bissouma at Brighton which was turned away, and we respected and appreciated that.
"If a move is not right then we will not become desperate and make decisions that we do not think is right.
"If it's not right at the time we might have to be patient in a few situations.”
With Villa potentially pushing for Bissouma once again, Arsenal director of football Edu faces a tricky decision over whether he wants to enter a bidding war for the midfielder or indeed move onto alternative targets
The 25-year-old has starred for the Seagulls since a 2017 switch from Ligue 1 outfit Lille.
He has made 112 appearances, scoring five goals. However, Bissouma has just a year-and-a-half remaining on his current contract and is valued at £22.5m by transfermarkt.
While Arsenal have been linked with moves for Bissouma, the likes of Ruben Neves and Douglas Luiz are also names that have been mentioned.
Intriguingly, should Villa seal the signing of Bissouma, Arsenal might well be handed encouragement over a potential deal for Luiz.
