Tottenham ‘need to sell Bissouma’ now amid new contract update
Tottenham could be in line to sell Yves Bissouma in the summer as contract negotiations kick off in North London.
The Mali international has struggled this campaign which has culminated in just 12 Premier League starts under Ange Postecoglou.
The 28-year-old featured for just five minutes last time out against Ipswich Town, summing up his lack of importance for the Lilywhites right now.
With that being said, the midfielder could be set to be facing the exit door in the face after the latest contract developments in N17.
Rodrigo Bentancur new contract could spell end for Bissouma at Tottenham
The injury issues have ravaged Spurs this campaign and as a result, their Australian head coach will be keen to have a filled squad ahead of next season.
Preparations appear to have begun already to make that happen with preliminary talks being held with Bentancur over a new contract [Sami Mokbel].
This comes despite having a difficult season which has seen the Uruguay international make just 16 appearances which was seriously impacted by his ban earlier in the campaign.
With that being said, if the 27-year-old commits his future to Spurs, it could represent the end of the road for Bissouma for the Lilywhites.
Speaking on the Last Word On Spurs podcast (25 February), Billie T suggested that the ex-Brighton man needs to depart for a new deal for his midfield counterpart to make sense.
“If he’s signing a new contract now, I’m not really sure what we’re rewarding him for. I think he’s been largely inconsistent and unreliable this season. He’s had discipline issues, he’s been suspended and had significant injury issues over the last few seasons so he’s not someone we can rely on.
“When he’s on form he’s fantastic but how often do we see that? Historically, we’ve had real trouble shifting players who aren’t good enough and I’m not saying he’s necessarily not good enough but it is a concern with our history that we keep average players for too long.
| Rodrigo Bentancur since joining Tottenham | |
| Yellow cards | 25 |
| Games missed through suspension | 8 |
“If Bentancur’s going to stay I think a number of things need to happen. We do need to sell Bissouma, without a doubt, we can’t keep too many of these players who aren’t good enough.
“We need to upgrade, I think Bentancur would be an excellent squad player but if we have aspirations of improving and winning trophies, we need better than Bentancur in the starting 11.”
Tottenham to take risk with Bentancur contract
There is no doubt that there is an excellent player there in the former Juventus ace but his best level hasn’t been seen consistently enough in North London.
This has seen him almost be overtaken by someone like Lucas Bergvall who has quickly established himself as a fan favourite this season.
Similar things can be said about Archie Gray who has showcased his talents despite being played in a whole host of different positions, particularly across the backline.
There aren’t these sort of rave reviews coming for Bentancur but he still appears to be in line for a new contract regardless.
It would be interesting to understand the logic behind this deal and why it is necessary right now given the current state of the Lilywhites.