Yves Bissouma is the latest player to be linked with a move to the Emirates in the January transfer market, as Arsenal look to strengthen their squad.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has previously revealed that Arsenal are in the market for a new midfielder, stating that his squad currently lack depth in that area of the pitch, especially following Ainsley Maitland-Niles' short-term loan move to AS Roma.
Bissouma is reportedly valued at £50million by Brighton, but the 25-year-old could be available for a cut-price fee considering he has entered the final 18 months of his contract at the Amex Stadium and might be the perfect signing for Arteta.
So, if Bissouma was to make the move to Arsenal in January, what sort of impact could he have on Mikel Arteta's side?
Could the Malian midfielder help Arsenal qualify for the Champions League?
We simulated the rest of the season with Bissouma in the Gunners' squad and this is what happened.
We 'signed' Yves Bissouma for Arsenal in January 2022
To set up this simulation, we used the Football Manager 2022 editor to arrange for Bissouma to join Arsenal at the start of the January 2022 transfer window, using FM22 to run the simulation.
This is how Bissouma's in-game profile looks on FM22.
Bissouma is a well-rounded midfielder with brilliant stamina, tackling and work rate that makes him a suitable partner to Thomas Partey in the Arsenal midfield.
Bissouma's technical and physical attributes make him a brilliant box-to-box midfielder, and with 14 passing and 14 dribbling, the Mali international is able to contribute in possession, take on players and carry the ball forward to push the team further up the pitch.
Let's take a look at how Bissouma performed throughout the second half of the 2021/22 season after signing for Arsenal in January 2022.
Bissouma made a total of 17 appearances for the Gunners after signing in January, scoring four goals and registering two assists.
The 25-year-old averaged a match rating of 7.48 under Arteta in all competitions, ranking him as the top performer at the club ahead of the likes of Alexandre Lacazette, Emile Smith Rowe, Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.
Bissouma registered a pass completion rate of 88% in all competitions, matching Bukayo Saka as the most successful passer in the Gunners' squad.
The Malian midfielder ranked third for most tackles per 90 minutes compared to other Arsenal midfielders with 1.31, only behind Bukayo Saka (1.76) and Gabriel Martinelli (1.41).
At the end of the 2021/22 season, Football Manager 2022 put together an overall best Arsenal XI, based on performances, statistics and other metrics.
This is what Arsenal's best XI looked like at the end of the 2021/22 season as predicted by Football Manager 2022:
Full Arsenal best XI (4-2-3-1): Ramsdale; Tomiyasu, Gabriel, White, Tierney; Partey, Bissouma; Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli; Lacazette.
Bissouma featured in Arsenal's best XI for the 2021/22 season, partnering Thomas Partey in the Gunners' midfield.
So, how did Arsenal perform in the league and cup competitions after signing Bissouma in the January transfer window?
Arsenal's results from the 2021/22 simulation
Arsenal finished fourth in the Premier League, qualifying for the Champions League for the first time since the 2015/16 season.
The Gunners finished a massive 14 points behind eventual champions Manchester City, highlighting the gap that Arteta and Arsenal need to bridge if they are going to challenge for the Premier League title again. Compared to last season, Arsenal finished four league positions higher, with 10 more points and a better goal difference by +10 with Bissouma in the squad.
So, how did the Gunners perform in the cup competitions?
Bissouma helped Arsenal win their third league cup after opening the scoring in the final, with the Gunners beating London rivals Chelsea at Wembley to lift the Carabao Cup.
Overall, this Football Manager 2022 simulation predicts that if Arsenal were to sign Yves Bissouma in January, the Malian midfielder could have a huge impact at the Emirates, helping the Gunners win the Carabao Cup and finish in the top four, qualifying for the Champions League.
Bissouma's contributions to the team saw him rank as the top performer under Arteta in the 2021/22 season, suggesting he was crucial to the side's upturn in performances and results.
Would you like to see Yves Bissouma sign for Arsenal? Let us know in the comments!
