Graham Potter insists Yves Bissouma is 'happy' at Brighton

Graham Potter insists star midfielder Yves Bissouma is ‘happy’ and ‘wants to play’ at Brighton despite interest from Tottenham and Liverpool

• Graham Potter also admitted he does not know what the player’s future holds
• Yves Bissouma has been linked with a move away from Brighton this summer
• The midfielder has two years remaining on his contract at the Amex Stadium
• Albion have already gained £50million from the sale of Ben White to Arsenal

Brighton boss Graham Potter insists Yves Bissouma is happy at the Amex Stadium but admits he does not know what the player’s future holds.

Bissouma impressed last season in the Premier League and had been expected to leave the Seagulls this summer but Potter claimed the Brighton star was happy and wanted to play at the club.

The Mali midfielder has been repeatedly linked with a move away from the south coast but is set to begin the new Premier League season in Albion colours at Burnley on Saturday.

Yves Bissouma is ‘happy’ at Brighton despite interest from Tottenham and Liverpool

Top-flight rivals Tottenham and Liverpool are among the clubs rumoured to be interested in the 24-year-old, while a possible switch to join former Seagulls team-mate Ben White at Arsenal has also been reported.

‘I’ve been speaking about Yves Bissouma for quite some time and he’s still here,’ said Potter, ahead of the trip to Turf Moor.

‘That’s all I can say on it. I can’t control the future, I don’t know what’s going to happen essentially – that’s the beauty of life and football.

‘Yves is with us, he’s happy, he’s smiling, he wants to play, he wants to keep improving his career, he’s taking steps.

‘He’s our player and, while he’s still here, we’ll do our best to help him.’

The midfielder has been linked with a move but has played in Brighton’s pre-season fixtures

Bissouma, who has two years remaining on his Brighton contract, has scored four times in 96 appearances since joining from French club Lille for a reported £15million in 2018.

Albion appear under no pressure to sell having gained around £50m from White’s departure to the Gunners, with the capture of Zambia midfielder Enock Mwepu for approximately £20m their only major outlay of the summer.

Head coach Potter has funds available to strengthen his squad but will not be rushed into making rash purchases and remains content to work with the players already at his disposal.

Brighton boss Graham Potter insisted ‘Yves is with us’ ahead of the start of the new season

‘While the window is open, you never know, that’s how football is,’ he said about potential new arrivals.

‘That’s the beauty of the transfer window, there’s lots of speculation, that’s part of the noise.

‘We have to spend it wisely, which is the right player, the right person; if that comes along then of course then it helps us to help the group.

‘We’ve got that possibility but if not we have to keep improving the players that we have here, that’s my job.’

The Mali midfielder (left) could join former Seagulls team-mate Ben White (right) at Arsenal

Tariq Lamptey will miss the start of the season due to a hamstring injury from last December

While Bissouma and White impressed for the duration of last term, another key talent, Tariq Lamptey, has not featured since mid-December due to a hamstring issue.

The right-back will be absent against the Clarets and could be sidelined for at least a further month.

‘He’s joined the group intermittently. He’s still doing his rehab, a slow few weeks but has made good progress recently, so he has joined in a few sessions with the players,’ said Potter.

‘We’re hoping he’ll step that up. With a bit of luck, maybe after the international break we might see a bit more of Tariq.’

Dutch goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen, a recent arrival from Ajax, Dan Burn, Moises Caicedo and Danny Welbeck will also be absent this weekend due to injury.

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