Aston Villa transfer news: Yves Bissouma is Steven Gerrard's 'top target' this summer

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard is very keen on signing Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma in the summer, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

Bissouma has spent the last four years at the Amex Stadium, but his time on the South Coast could be coming to an end if Gerrard gets his way.

Villa were heavily linked with Bissouma last month, who is out of contract at Brighton in 2023.

Indeed, Gerrard recently admitted that the Midlands club had a bid rejected by their Premier League rivals for the 25-year-old in January.

It is understood that Brighton value Bissouma at £50m. If Villa agreed to pay this amount, it would break their current transfer record fee by a considerable margin.

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O’Rourke has highlighted that Gerrard is a big fan of Bissouma’s, and has claimed that the 41-year-old manager has identified the Mali international as the perfect signing to strengthen his midfield.

Talking about how Gerrard wants to bring in a midfielder in the off-season, O’Rourke told GIVEMESPORT: “It’s definitely a position that Steven Gerrard wants to improve, and Bissouma, right now, is his top target.”

Villa’s efforts to sign Bissouma in January were thwarted, but it seems that they are still interested in luring him to Villa Park.

With the 6 foot midfielder moving towards the final year of his contract, the summer transfer window could be the perfect moment for Villa to make another move for him.

Brighton are currently above Villa in the table, but Gerrard’s men certainly seem to be heading in the right direction after signing Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Digne in January.

They appear to be readying themselves for a push to make the European places next term, and