Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma has been linked with Liverpool once again.
The Reds have brought in excess of that amount with the sale of six players, and have spent the summer prioritising new contracts for key players with Alisson Becker, Fabinho, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson among those to put pen to paper.
Bissouma is highly unlikely to sign for the Reds before the end of the transfer window, however, with the club not considering him a possibility at this time.
Nevertheless, former Arsenal striker Ian Wright believes Yves Bissouma is ' tailor-made' for Liverpool and has urged the Reds to make a move for the Brighton midfielder.
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The 24-year-old has been linked with an exit from the Amex Stadium this summer as a result of his strong performances last campaign which steered the Seagulls to Premier League safety.
So, what would happen if Bissouma signed for Liverpool before the summer transfer deadline? And, how would he perform for the Reds? Let's find out...
We 'signed' Yves Bissouma for Liverpool this summer
To set up this simulation, we used the Football Manager 2021 editor to arrange for Bissouma to join Liverpool ahead of the new season.
Let's take a look at how Bissouma performed throughout the 2021/22 season.
Bissouma had an impressive season, mainly as a squad player for Liverpool as he scored seven goals and registered four assists in 48 appearances across all competitions, yet only 27 of those were starts.
Bissouma's return of seven goals and four assists bettered Gini Wijnaldum's best season for the Reds as the Dutchman only managed to register six goal contributions in his best season in terms of output.
To put these stats in context, only Thiago contributed more goals and assists than the 24-year-old, with the Spaniard starting 36 games for the Reds.
Bissouma averaged a tackle completion rate of 75 per cent, as well as a pass completion rate of 86 per cent in his debut season under Klopp.
His performances for the Reds limited highly-rated midfielder Naby Keita's game time as Bissouma bettered Keita in both tackle completion rate and pass completion rate, suggesting Klopp favoured the Malian midfielder ahead of Keita.
Bissouma's performances were not good enough to see him feature in Liverpool's best XI of the season, as a midfield trio of Jordan Henderson, Thiago and Fabinho claimed the midfield spots.
However, Bissouma did manage to help Liverpool win their second league title in three years, as the Reds finished as champions in the 2021/22 season.
Here is how the final Premier League 2021/22 table looked at the end of the season.
The return of Virgil van Dijk, addition of Ibrahima Konate and Bissouma all had significant impacts on Liverpool's title winning season, as the Reds finished 22 points better off than they did in the 2020/21 season.
Klopp's side improved a lot in terms of their defensive record as they conceded a huge 16 goals fewer than they did last season, while also scoring 15 goals more than they did in the 2020/21 season when they finished third.
Bissouma's addition to the side also allowed the Reds to compete on all fronts and challenge for cup success too, with the Reds finishing as runners-up in both the FA Cup and Champions League.
Football Manager 2021 predicts that should Liverpool sign Bissouma, the Malian midfielder would offer good quality in squad depth for the midfield positions, contributing seven goals and four assists across all competitions, allowing the Reds to regain the Premier League title and challenge on all cup fronts.
Bissouma's performance in his debut season bettered any season Wijnaldum had during his time with Liverpool, with the 24-year-old having the potential to improve further being at a younger age than the Dutchman.
Would you be happy with Bissouma joining the Reds before the transfer deadline on Tuesday? Let us know in the comments!
