West Ham United have made an offer for an "outstanding" midfielder, who is now keen on a move to a new Premier League club.
West Ham's midfield criticised amid slow start
There was some respite before the international break, with West Ham picking up a 3-0 victory against Nottingham Forest at The City Ground, but the 3-0 defeat at home against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday underlined the fact that many problems still remain.
One of the Hammers' main issues is their midfield, as pointed out by journalist and fan writer James Jones, who said:"It has been painfully clear that Potter's side lacks pace, creativity and physicality in the middle of the park. A combination of James Ward-Prowse, Tomas Soucek and Guido Rodriguez does not equal a top quality midfield at this level."
Soucek, in particular, struggled in the thrashing at home against Tottenham, being shown a straight red card early in the second half, which arguably emphasised the importance of Graham Potter bringing in a new central midfielder during the January transfer window.
According to a report from Africa Foot, there could be an opportunity to do exactly that, with it being revealed West Ham have made an offer for Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma, who has now expressed his desire to remain in the Premier League.
Having suffered a knee injury, Bissouma has been ruled out until October and is set to remain in north London until the January transfer window, and there is no shortage of interest in the midfielder's signature, with the likes of Newcastle United, Crystal Palace and Chelsea also making proposals.
Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma
Spurs are open to cashing-in on the central midfielder, who has previously been valued at £14m, but the north Londoners would prefer to sell him to a foreign club, with Chicago Fire, Galatasaray Spor Kulübü, Beşiktaş, Fenerbahçe and Lyon keen.
"Outstanding" Bissouma could be upgrade on Soucek defensively
There is no denying that Soucek has had a difficult start to the campaign, being dismissed against Spurs last time out, while also recording a 6.1 SofaScore match rating against Chelsea, the second-lowest figure of any outfield player.
As such, it could be worth bringing in an upgrade on the Czechia international, and there are signs the Tottenham ace could be exactly that, at least from a defensive point of view, given his ball-winning and passing abilities.
Average per 90 (past year) Tomas Soucek Yves Bissouma
Tackles 1.55 3.19
Interceptions 0.76 1.41
Pass completion % 74.5% 88.1%
The Mali international is also vastly experienced at Premier League level, having been lauded as "outstanding" by Statman Dave during his time with Brighton & Hove Albion.
There may be some concerns over the signing of Bissouma, having fallen out of favour under Thomas Frank, but he clearly has the talent to be a success at the London Stadium if his attitude is right.