Mousa Sissoko has become the surprise transfer target for various clubs across Europe, as they look to take advantage of the player failing to settle at White Hart Lane. After the recent 2-1 loss against Monaco in the Champions League, manager Mauricio Pochettino came out in criticism of the French international. He felt that the £30 million transfer fee alone was not a case for Sissoko’s inclusion in the first team.
Since joining for the club on a record fee from Newcastle United in the summer, Sissoko has struggled to have any influence in the first team. He is not alone, as the likes of Vincent Janssen have also failed to make an impact since joining the club for big money in the summer.
Only a few days ago, Everton appeared to have revived their interest in the 27-year-old. Sissoko had earlier turned down a move to Goodison Park in favour of joining Spurs. The midfielder was clearly impressed by the presence of Champions League football at the London outfit over Everton, who had only then appointed Ronald Koeman as the new manager.
And now Talksport has reported that Inter Milan and Juventus are understood to be the latest club’s looking for the Tottenham midfielder. Both teams would like some significant strengthening to their midfield, and they have identified Sissoko as someone who can satisfy the requirements while also not costing a significant sum of money. Spurs may be forced to accept a lower offer, than the £30 million they paid to Newcastle, as a result of Pochettino’s honest assessment of the player a week ago.
While Sissoko could only make it to the bench for the game against Monaco, he was completely left out of the squad that face Chelsea last weekend. It has sparked rumours that Spurs may be willing to cut their losses on the player and could listen to offers in January.
The struggles by the French international is surprising considering that he was an instant impact at St James’s Park when he moved to Newcastle from to Toulouse around £1.5 million. The pressure of the massive transfer fee seems to be telling on the player, while there is also increased competition at Spurs from the likes of Erik Lamela And Heung-Min Son.
Surprisingly, Pochettino made a U-turn with regard to his comments about Sissoko. He claims that he is extremely satisfied with the midfielder’s commitment and hard work in training. Since it takes time for any player to settle at new surroundings, Pochettino is prepared to give the benefit of the doubt Sissoko. He said:
“He’s 27 and with different habits and it’s not easy for him, it’s not easy for anybody.
“I have been happy with his attitude this week. He trained very hard but it is not a big issue for me. All the players need to understand that we are a 24-man squad. I am the boss.”
These comments will only be viewed as shallow if Sissoko continues to be absent from the first team.
