Harry Redknapp has given his backing to Tottenham in their pursuit of Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma.
talkSPORT understands Tottenham have agreed an initial £25million fee with Brighton, with the deal set to rise to over £30m in add-ons, and a five-year deal on the table for the Mali international.
Bissouma joined the Seagulls from French side Lille in 2018 and has gone on to score six goals in 124 appearances.
The combative central midfielder has just 12 months remaining on his current deal, leading to Brighton opting to cash in on their prized asset, rather than allowing him to leave for free next summer.
Speaking to talkSPORT Breakfast, Redknapp was enthusiastic about the impending acquisition of the highly-rated star, who was previously linked with Liverpool, Chelsea and Aston Villa.
“Oh, he’s a good player,” said Redknapp when asked for his thoughts on the Tottenham target.
Host Alan Brazil then asked Redknapp how much he thought he was worth, to which the former Spurs boss replied: “£70m.”
Redknapp was then left stunned when it was revealed the fee was closer to the £25m mark.
He said: “Oh, cheap! He’s a good player, strong – yeah I like him.
“I tell you what, Spurs are going to be strong next year. They’ll bring a few in.”
“I said Bissouma to Arsenal a long, long time ago,” added Gunners legend Ray Parlour.
Should Spurs seal the signing of Bissouma, it would signal a strong start to the transfer window following the additions of Fraser Forster and Ivan Perisic.
And it is unlikely to be the end of Spurs’ summer recruitment drive with manager Antonio Conte looking to further bolster his squad ahead of a packed season.
Conte is readying himself for a first full season in charge at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and with that, a return to the Champions League after two seasons away.
Spurs finished the season strongly, pipping arch rivals Arsenal to fourth place thanks in part to a 3-0 north London derby victory last month.
Conte was brought in as Spurs manager last November and quickly began to put his stamp on the squad with the loan additions of Cristian Romero and Dejan Kulusevski – with both players expected to sign permanent deals at the club.
Source: Talk Sport