Yves Bissouma asks to leave Brighton amid interest from 3 Premier League clubs

Yves Bissouma has asked to leave Brighton this summer, with Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal all keen on the Malian midfielder.

Bissouma has taken his time to hit prime form since arriving on the south coast from Lille in 2018, but this season has been a breakthrough for the 24-year-old. He has been one of the stars of Graham Potter's hit-and-miss Seagulls, and there is a growing sense at the Amex that his days there are numbered.

He has made 32 appearances for Brighton this season, with only centre-backs Ben White and Lewis Dunk racking up more minutes on the pitch. They expect to double the £15m they spent on him three years ago if they sell now, according to The Times.

It's claimed Bissouma knows there is substantial interest in his signature, and wants to strike while the iron is hot and secure a move to a Champions League club. Unfortunately for him, two of the clubs interested are Liverpool and Arsenal - neither of whom occupy a top four spot at present.

It's said the Reds hold the most interest in prying him away from Brighton, with Jurgen Klopp personally taking the time to assess his viability. Klopp sees Bissouma as a potential replacement for Georginio Wijnaldum, and that would make sense, considering he has a similar skillset and is at the same point in his career as Wijnaldum was when he arrived at Anfield in 2016.

Arsenal are set to miss out on Europe altogether next season and that is believed to be a major turn-off to Bissouma. There is also interest from City, but that is 'less advanced' and highly dependent on other factors such as Fernandinho's contract situation.

The Times also say Marseille hold an interest, but whether he would want to return to France to play for a team who may yet miss out on the Europa League remains to be seen.

It would seem Liverpool are the most likely landing point for Bissouma as it stands, and if they can make the top four, that would give them a major boost - both in terms of finances and appeal. They currently sit six points off fourth-placed Leicester, with a game in hand to come against Man Utd on Thursday.