Yves Bissouma 'to undergo Tottenham Hotspur medical on Thursday'

Antonio Conte's side are believed to have won the race to sign the in-demand Mali international from the Seagulls after agreeing a deal on Wednesday morning.

Bissouma was linked with the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal over the past few months, while West Ham United allegedly turned down the chance to sign him earlier this summer.

Now, football.london reports that the 25-year-old will board a plane back to the UK on Wednesday and will spend the night at the hotel based inside Tottenham's training complex.

The report adds that Bissouma will complete his medical and officially sign for Tottenham on Thursday, and Spurs could fork out more than £30m for the midfielder with add-ons.

Bissouma was only able to complete 45 minutes of Mali's Africa Cup of Nations qualifier with South Sudan due to injury, with the midfielder coming off at half time after sustaining an ankle issue.

However, Bissouma posted a reassuring update on social media after the game, and his physical problem is not expected to pose a threat to his medical or negotiations with Tottenham.

The former Lille man was arrested at a Brighton nightclub last October on suspicion of sexual assault alongside a man in his 40s, but no charges have been brought against him as of today and he continued to represent club and country in the wake of his release.

A statement released to football.london by Sussex Police confirmed that investigations were still ongoing over the incident, although Tottenham are yet to comment on the matter publicly.

"A man in his 40s from Brighton who was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault has had his conditional bail extended until June 24, 2022. A man in his 20s, also from Brighton, who was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault has been released under investigation while enquiries continue," the statement read.

Bissouma was due to become a free agent in the summer of 2023 and is set to leave Brighton four years after signing from French giants Lille in a £15.1m deal.

The 25-year-old has since made 124 appearances for Graham Potter's side across all competitions, scoring six goals and setting up three more in that time.

Bissouma started 25 Premier League games for Brighton in 2021-22 - often as part of a midfield two in front of a three-man central defence - and he picked up 10 yellow cards in the process.

Bissouma would become Tottenham's third signing of the summer window after the Lilywhites welcomed Ivan Perisic and Fraser Forster to the club on free transfers earlier in the summer.

Spurs are also reported to have agreed a £20m deal for Middlesbrough right-back Djed Spence and continue to be credited with an interest in Raphinha and Richarlison as Conte aims to bolster his attack.