Journalist Ryan Taylor has confirmed that Aston Villa have made contact with Brighton over the possibility of signing their midfielder Yves Bissouma.

Bissouma has been a standout performer on the South Coast since joining Brighton in 2018 but his contract is set to expire next year, and he is yet to commit his future to the club. 

How has Bissouma fared at Brighton this season?

Bissouma's contract at the Amex Stadum may be ticking down but he is still performing at a high level for Graham Potter's men.

According to WhoScored, he has been Brighton's best player in 2021/22, registering an average match rating of 7.13.

The statistics show that he has made more interceptions (27) than any of his teammates, while he also features inside the top three in the Brighton squad when it comes to tackles and dribbles completed. 

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What has Taylor said about Bissouma?

Having continued to shine at Brighton this term, Bissouma has been linked with a move to Aston Villa in January.

Taylor has claimed that the Villans have reached out to their Premier League rivals to ask about Bissouma, only to be told that Brighton have no intention of selling their key player, who they reportedly value at around £50m.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT about Villa's pursuit of the 25-year-old, Taylor said: “I know they’ve had conversations with Brighton. But the message being relayed by Brighton over Bissouma is just: ‘No, we don’t want to get rid of him.’”

Would signing Bissouma be the icing on the cake of a great January transfer window for Villa?

Aston Villa have arguably been the standout club in the Premier League in this month's transfer window as they have already added Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Digne to their squad.

The former scored on his debut against Manchester United, while Digne got his first assist of the season in Saturday's 1-0 win over Everton.

Brighton seem very reluctant to let Bissouma go at the moment, yet there is still time for Villa to put in an offer that could make the South Coast club think again.

If they could get Brighton to change their mind, this would be a huge signing for Steven Gerrard's men. 

Bringing Bissouma into a midfield that already contains John McGinn and Jacob Ramsey would be very exciting for Villa, and would cap off what has been a very impressive month in the transfer market for the club. 

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