Reported Yves Bissouma fee is a dream for Liverpool right now

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Yves Bissouma is available for a bargain fee, according to reports. Liverpool could find themselves in a dream scenario this summer.

The Times reports that Yves Bissouma could leave for a £30m fee this summer. This comes after he told Brighton that he wants to leave the club.

Liverpool are supposedly one of those teams interested, per the report. And this wouldn’t be the first time we’ve heard that – far from it.

The Sunday World have said it, the Telegraph, too, as well as the Athletic. You can go all the way back to December, in fact, to find ESPN making the claim.

It’s safe to assume there might be something in this, then. Liverpool do need a new midfielder, after all.

As The Times’ report states, Gini Wijnaldum is out of contract this summer. They go as far to say that he’s agreed a pre-contract with Barcelona, though we haven’t seen that anywhere else.

But regardless of an agreement or not, Wijnaldum is almost certainly off at the end of the season. That leaves Liverpool with a gaping hole in their midfield options.

That’s not because Wijnaldum is their best midfield but he is far and away their most reliable. We’d have Thiago, Jordan Henderson and Fabinho as better options but all three have had injury issues this season.

Then the likes of Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have had both injury problems and battles with poor form. It’s left Wijnaldum as the only consistent player in midfield.

That’s a big loss if he disappears this summer. But there’s something else to consider. Even if Wijnaldum stayed, Liverpool have an ageing midfield.

The Dutchman is 30, as are Henderson and Thiago. They’ve got a few more years left in them but they’re not long-term options. That’s the midfield’s core all exiting their prime, Fabinho aside.

Liverpool need to fix that, then, and that’s what makes Bissouma look like a bargain.

Yves Bissouma at a bargain fee

Liverpool need someone who can immediately step into Wijnaldum’s shoes. They also need someone who can stick around long-term, though, as the current crop fade.

Then add the requirements for a Liverpool midfielder – someone who can change to the game’s need. A mobile midfielder, capable of covering full-backs, pressing high and winning midfield battles.

Versatile, above all, and capable both going forward and towards their own goal. If they’re comfortable both in possession and on the counter, even better.

That’s Bissouma – all of it. He’s just coming into his prime but at 25, is young enough to play at the top for six or seven more years. He’s proven Premier League quality, too – there’s no doubt that Bissouma could play right away and fill a spot for years.

As we’ve talked about before, Bissouma is a wonderfully versatile player, too. Defensively, he sits in the top 10-20 for tackles, pressing and interceptions in the Premier League.

But he’s comfortable moving with the ball, too. Bissouma can do a bit of everything.

Liverpool couldn’t ask for more, then, let alone at a time when they have to buy a midfielder. At £30m, Bissouma looks like an absolute dream scenario.