Tottenham & Everton Tipped to Go Head to Head With European Clubs in Pursuit of Lille Midfield Star

Premier League clubs Tottenham Hotspur and Everton have both been credited with interest in rising Lille midfielder Yves Bissouma as each side looks to strengthen their respective squad with fresh new talent ahead of next season.

Mali international Bissouma played 24 times in Ligue 1 for a struggling Lille this season, but his strength and power in central areas have made suitors take notice.

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According to Sky Sports, Spurs see the 21-year-old as a potential replacement for Mousa Dembele, who is planning to make a decision on his future at the club after the World Cup, and are said to have been scouting him all season as a result.

It would appear that Mauricio Pochettino's team are in the market for that type of player, as Sky have also named Watford's Abdoulaye Doucoure, Amadou Haidara from Red Bull Salzburg and Inter's Geoffrey Kondogbia, once the bane of Arsenal in the Champions League, as targets.

Sky claim that Everton are similarly in the market for a powerful midfielder. Their liking of Bissouma is said to have originated when Steve Walsh was head of recruitment, but interest in that type of player has remained even after the appointment of new recruiter Marcel Brands.

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Bissouma could prove to be a perfect partner for Idrissa Gueye at Goodison Park, a player he ultimately went on to replace at Lille after the Senegalese international left to join Aston Villa in the summer of 2015, before winding up at Everton a year later.

Bissouma, who is also said to have caught the attention of Schalke, are losing Leon Goretzka and Max Meyer this summer, and Monaco, who may let Fabinho go, is currently under contract at Lille until June 2021.