Arsenal have been heavily linked with a move for Yves Bissouma this summer - and the Brighton midfielder has already received plenty of plaudits.
Bissouma had an exceptional season for the Seagulls and has attracted interest from a number of top Premier League sides.
Football.London understands that Arsenal are keen on signing the Mali international this summer as the Gunners are set for a huge overhaul of their misfiring squad.
After delivering a man of the match performance during Brighton's 0-0 draw with Everton in April, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said Mikel Arteta's side may face competition from other clubs in the race for Bissouma's signature.
"The biggest talking point or bright spark from the game was the performance of Bissouma, who was the Man of the Match but not just the best player on the pitch, the best player by a mile on the pitch, he really was," Carragher told Sky Sports.
"You looked at him and he really does look like a top-quality player.
"He was excellent at Old Trafford [against Manchester United] for Brighton and he just looked head and shoulders above everyone on the pitch [versus Everton].
"He's been someone a lot of teams have talked about or looked at. I don't think teams will be looking at him, I think they will be bidding for him at the end of the season."
Carragher's Bissouma assessment has also been echoed by Match of the Day anchor Gary Lineker.
Lineker previously tweeted: "What an exceptional footballer Yves Bissouma is."
The two former England stars' assessments of Bissouma will be music to the ears of the Arsenal faithful, who have been calling for the Gunners to strike a deal with Brighton in a bid to bolster their midfield options.
If they do pursue a deal for the 24-year-old they will not be told no by Brighton if the offer is right with the Seagulls' chief Paul Barber admitting he is open to letting Bissouma leave the Amex stadium this summer.
"I don't see it as a negative at all," he told The Athletic. "The more the big clubs that are interested in our players, the more we're doing right, so I am delighted with that.
"We know some of our best players aren't going to be with us forever and, if the right offer comes along – and it has to be the right offer – and they want to leave, then they can go."
However, they look set to face stern competition from Premier League rivals Liverpool.
According to Anfield Central, via the Express, Liverpool chief Michael Edwards set a 'transfer meeting' for Bissouma to meet club officials at the back end of last week, in a bid to try and persuade the midfielder to head to Anfield over the Emirates.
