Villa dealt transfer setback with “exceptional” £70m star, Gerrard will be gutted - opinion

Aston Villa‘s hopes of signing Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma this summer have taken a blow, with AS Monaco reportedly set to target the Malian as a replacement for the outgoing Aurelien Tchouameni.

Villa have been heavily linked with the 25-year-old in recent weeks after seeing a January bid rejected, but it seems as if their chances of signing him have now slimmed.

According to The Sun, Monaco will launch a bid for the Brighton man should Tchouameni complete his move away, with Real Madrid and Liverpool among the suitors for the Frenchman.

Brighton have reportedly placed a £70m price tag on Bissouma and with Villa having already spent close to £50m on new players this summer, they may struggle to meet that valuation, whereas Monaco would have plenty of cash in the bank once Tchouameni leaves.

Gerrard is clearly a fan of Bissouma having bid on him in January and considering his performances for the Seagulls in recent seasons, he would be an excellent addition at Villa Park.

Last season saw the midfielder make 26 appearances in the Premier League for Graham Potter’s side, in which he contributed one goal and two assists, averaging an impressive 6.99 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

This would have been enough to rank him as the second-best performer in Gerrard’s squad last season, with only John McGinn rated higher by WhoScored.

Bissouma could have added some defensive steel in Villa’s midfield, with only McGinn averaging more tackles per game (3) than the Brighton man’s 2.9 last season, while he also outscored every Villa player in terms of interceptions per game (1.9).

Gary Lineker has previously described the Mali international as an “exceptional footballer” while Jamie Carragher was also full of praise