A report from The Athletic has revealed the amount of money it would take for Arsenal to bring Brighton & Hove Albion's Yves Bissouma to the Emirates. 

How much will Bissouma cost Arsenal?

According to The Athletic, the Gunners will have to pay over £40m if they plan on luring the Brighton midfielder to north London this summer. 

Bissouma has been a stand-out player for Brighton this season and the Gunners aren't the only side who are interested in securing the Malian's signature. 

As per the Mirror, Leicester City are reportedly ready to rival Mikel Arteta's side for the Brighton man.

Brendan Rogers apparently hopes that the prospect of featuring in the Champions League may give the Foxes the edge. However, Bissouma is reportedly a boyhood Arsenal fan. 

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What's Arteta's view of Bissouma? 

Journalist Alex Crook told talkSPORT in December that Gunners manager Arteta is a "big fan" of the Brighton midfielder. 

The reporter also explained how Brighton have done extremely well to hold onto their best players but the chairman Tony Bloom faces a real test in keeping Bissouma. 

According to Crook, Liverpool have also been keeping tabs on the 14-cap international. 

How has he performed this season? 

The former Lille man has played a vital role for the Seagulls this season and has featured in 33 games across all competitions. 

Furthermore, the Brighton man has made the third most tackles, with 85, out of the entirety of the Premier League, and has only been bested by Tottenham's Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Leeds United's Luke Ayling. 

He has also been one of Brighton's key performers this season and has earned a WhoScored average rating of 6.94

Bissouma has achieved a higher average rating than everybody in the Gunners squad except Alexandre Lacazette and former Seagull Mat Ryan. 

*all stats correct prior to the latest round of Premier League fixtures

What could Arsenal's midfield look like next season? 

The Gunners could potentially line up with a rather impressive midfield this season. 

Bissouma could slot in alongside Thomas Partey as Arteta's holding midfielders. Ahead of them might be current Real Madrid loanee Martin Odegaard.

It's previously been reported that Arsenal are looking to turn the Norwegian's loan move into a permanent deal. 

Odegaard has helped fill the Mesut Ozil-shaped hole in the Arsenal midfield and has been a creative focal point for Arteta's side. During Arsenal's comeback against West Ham, Odegaard played a vital role by recording a 93% pass accuracy and four dribbles, according to WhoScored.

If the Emirates club can bring both Odegaard and Bissouma to north London on a permanent basis, then the Gunners will have a strong, energetic and creative engine room to help build the rest of the team around.