Yves Bissouma is set to depart Tottenham Hotspur after three years of struggling to justify why he was signed from Brighton and Hove Albion.
Tottenham Hotspur have signed many players over the years who are still remembered fondly for their contributions to the club. However, there are those who are only brought up when Spurs supporters reflect on how bad they were.
Yves Bissouma is a player who is unlikely to fall into either of these categories. He has never really lived up to the expectations which surrounded him three years ago, but calling him a flop would seem rather harsh.
According to the latest reports, Bissouma will switch Tottenham for Galatasaray, making the Europa League final his last ever start for the club.
Spurs supporters are divided on Bissouma as while there is a general agreement that he should be sold, some are grateful for his performances during the back end of last season. Others, however, are delighted to see him go.
Yves Bissouma has largely been underwhelming for Tottenham
Bissouma is very much a defensive midfielder. He failed to register a single goal contribution during his first two seasons at Tottenham. However, his ability to carry the ball forward under Antonio Conte got fans excited that he could be the type of player the club had been missing since the departure of Mousa Dembele.
As time went on, Bissouma looked less and less like this player and after being sent off against Luton Town early into Ange Postecoglou’s reign, he seemed to decline a lot. Inconsistency has certainly been an issue for the Malian midfielder, as while he can impress with his tackling and aggression, he has rarely had a run of consecutive solid performances.Â
When compared with Rodrigo Bentancur, Bissouma is usually viewed as the weaker link, and it is not just his performances on the pitch which have been problematic.Â
Bissouma missed the UEFA Super Cup due to disciplinary reasons and he was also suspended by Postecoglou last season for an incident involving laughing gas. If he cannot be relied on to make himself available and set an example for the younger players in the team, his days at the club were always going to be numbered.
Bissouma deserves a Spurs send off
Having said all this, Bissouma did rise to the occasion when it mattered last season.
He put in some strong displays in the Europa League knockout stages and played his part as Tottenham kept a clean sheet in the final. It is only right that Tottenham supporters wish him well as he embarks on the next chapter of his career in Turkey.
Still, Tottenham are in a good place with Joao Palhinha. He was outstanding against Manchester City and could be the more consistent pivot midfielder which Spurs have needed.
READ MORE – Jermain Defoe advises Tottenham defender to leave the club after just 37 appearances
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