'Frank to greenlight Bissouma's Tottenham exit' after Archie Gray reveal

Yves Bissouma could become Tottenham's first casualty in the Thomas Frank era.

The Mali international has had fluctuating fortunes since arriving at Tottenham from Brighton in 2022, mixing occasional excellent performances with some dire showings in the centre of the park.

Bissouma proved vital in the latter stages of Spurs' Europa League campaign, but overall, the 28-year-old's inconsistency has seen him fail to live up to expectations.

Off-the-pitch issues have also soured the midfielder's reputation in North London, with Tottenham's new Head Coach Frank renowned for being quite firm with his playing group.

The Dane will look to imprint his own identity on this inherited squad, and may judge Bissouma as surplus to requirements following the latest reveal regarding Archie Gray.

Frank was desperate to sign Gray for Brentford

Frank's first port of call at Tottenham will be to assess the squad at his disposal and work out which players he wishes to build the team around.

The futures of Cristian Romero and Son Heung-min remain to be resolved, but the 51-year-old will have plenty of young players to work with, including Gray.

As reported in The Athletic (13 June), Frank was desperate to sign the former Leeds teenager for Brentford, with the Bees considering him an exceptional defensive midfield talent.

Tottenham swooped in ahead of the West London club, who were in negotiations with the versatile youngster, to sign him last summer.

Frank will be delighted that he will finally be able to work with England Under-21 international, and is likely to reinstate him in his favoured position as a defensive midfielder, despite Gray rarely featuring there for Ange Postecoglou.

This could spell bad news for Bissouma, as Frank may decide to greenlight his exit from Spurs this summer.

Spurs' young midfielders set for promising future

While Frank's admiration for Gray sets the Englishman up for a positive future, the new Spurs boss is likely to be equally optimistic about many of his young colleagues.

Lucas Bergvall's technical qualities will likely see him play a big part under the new regime, while Pape Matar Sarr's inexhaustible engine will likely fit Frank's more direct style of play.

The former Brentford manager's track record with developing young players is undoubtedly one of the reasons he was hired by Daniel Levy, and could even spell a new start for returning loan players like Jamie Donley.