Premier League rivals reportedly ‘willing to sell’ £50m Newcastle United target

Newcastle United may have been handed a boost in their reported efforts to sign Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma, with The Times claiming that the Seagulls are now “willing to sell” the player.

The Malian international has been linked with a number of clubs this January, with Tottenham and Aston Villa among those credited with an interest.

But while it had appeared that Albion were intent on hanging on to one of their star assets, it is now understood that they could be swayed into parting company with the 25-year-old.

Brighton are said to value Bissouma at around £50 million, with the player’s current contract on the south coast set to expire in 2023.

How likely are Newcastle United to seal a deal?

In reality, even if this latest update from The Times is accurate, the likelihood is that Newcastle probably won’t prioritise a move for Bissouma in the coming days.

Having previously hit something of a roadblock in the battle for his signature, the Magpies chose to pursue other midfield targets instead, and look to be on the cusp of wrapping up a deal for Brazilian star Bruno Guimaraes.

That’s not to say that the Toon Army wouldn’t still be interested in signing a player of Bissouma’s obvious quality, but with time running out and other positions still to strengthen, the prospect of a £50 million swoop for the Malian feels slim.

What has Graham Potter said about Bissouma?

Speaking earlier in the month, Brighton boss Potter made it clear that he believes Bissouma will still be an Albion player come the end of the transfer window.

He said: “Players at this level, and Yves is the same, know that at this time of year there’s speculation, things in newspapers, it’s part of what they have to deal with,” said Potter.

“They also know that they have to focus on the football and let all of the other stuff take care of itself.

“I’m confident [he will stay in January]. I think Yves is enjoying his football here but, with the transfer window, you never know.

“We have to adapt to anything, which we do. You always plan for something you can’t necessarily foresee, so we’re in a good place, but we’ll see.”