Arsenal may make last-gasp swoop for "phenomenal" £22.5m-rated beast, Arteta needs him - opinion

Arsenal have been handed a late boost in their bid to sign Yves Bissouma this January transfer window…

The Gunners were linked with a move for the Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder earlier this month by The Sunday Mirror (09/01, p71), whilst they have seemingly held a long-term interest in signing him.

Now, according to The Times, the Seagulls are prepared to let him go before Monday night’s deadline for a fee of £50m.

Arsenal have missed out on some key midfield targets this window, including Arthur Melo, whose potential loan move from Juventus fell through, and Bruno Guimaraes, who is set to join top-flight rivals Newcastle United.

A new central midfielder must be among the many priorities around the Emirates Stadium but time is quickly running out, which is why a move for a player already based in the Premier League makes the world of sense.

Brighton have made their willingness to conduct business very clear, so the door has opened for Edu Gaspar and his recruitment staff to strike. It would be unforgivable not to.

The Gunners have offloaded as many as five players this month already, all without making a single signing, leaving Arteta light on options in the engine room.

It doesn’t help that Thomas Partey and Mo Elneny have been away on international duty but even with them around, there’s a serious lack of depth in midfield.

Bissouma has already proven his credentials in England and would be a fine addition indeed.

As per WhoScored, he’s averaging a whopping 3.6 tackles per game, which sees him top the entire division in this regard, whilst also managing 1.9 interceptions and 1.7 dribbles per outing, too.

He’s evidently an absolute beast in the heart of the pitch, one capable of not only winning the ball back but