Liverpool legend John Barnes is very keen for the Reds to make a bid for Brighton’s Yves Bissouma this summer.

The Malian international is believed to favour a switch to Arsenal, but the Gunners have yet to make an approach for the 24-year-old, and Barnes feels he would be an excellent choice to strengthen the Reds’ midfield:

“I think Yves Bissouma would be the perfect fit for Liverpool. In terms of what Liverpool want from their midfielders, Bissouma is very strong and he’s very good on the ball.”

“He’s more of a defensively minded midfielder, but if you look at the way Liverpool’s front three play, then you don’t necessarily need an attacking midfielder with an eye for goal, because if Liverpool had that then Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane wouldn’t have the opportunity to score as many goals and it would affect the way they play.”

“That’s why I believe that Bissouma would suit Liverpool and that front three perfectly. He would also be a shield in front of the back four.”

It has been reported that Liverpool are scouting Bissouma but, at this stage, there has been no indication that they will step up their interest by making a formal offer for the midfielder.

Brighton is said to be demanding as much as £40m for the Malian, and that may be one of the reasons why sporting director Michael Edwards has not made the player a top target.

Reports in Germany suggest that Borussia Monchengladbach’s Florian Neuhaus is a more likely candidate, with the German international having spoken out about his future in recent days.