Tottenham Hotspur showing no interest in swap deal involving Yves Bissouma and Chelsea’s Hakim Ziyech
Tottenham Hotspur are apparently not keen on any swap deal with Chelsea that involves swapping Yves Bissouma for Hakim Ziyech, as per Matt Law of Daily Telegraph (Subscription Required).
The Morocco international has evidently struggled for playing time with the Blues when players in his position are fit and available. Moreover, with the arrivals of Joao Felix and Mykhaylo Mudryk, his competition has increased.
Bissouma suffers from a similar fate here. The former Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder arrived at N17 last summer amid much hype but has struggled to make a big impression.
He may have featured in 21 games across competitions this season, but that has amounted to around 965 minutes of football for Spurs. Most of them have been as a result of injuries to others.
Either Rodrigo Bentancur has been sidelined after the 2022 FIFA World Cup, or injuries to attackers before the World Cup meant manager Antonio Conte decided to field a three-man midfield in a few games.
Are Spurs doing the right thing?
Bentancur’s return to fitness has meant Bissouma’s immediate expulsion from the starting XI. He has been benched for our clash against Manchester City in the Premier League later tonight (19 January) in favour of the Uruguay international.
Nevertheless, it is important to have the Mali international in the team to maintain our depth. Moreover, fans expect him to fulfil his potential and come good soon – this is, after all, his first season at Tottenham.
![Hakim Ziyech of Morocco looks on during a friendly match between Paraguay and Morocco at Estadio Benito Villamarin on September 27, 2022 in Seville, Spain.](https://tothelaneandback.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/paraguay-v-morocco-international-friendly-1-1200x800.jpg)
It’s a new system and a new manager. Things can take time. Ziyech, meanwhile, can play as a right-winger as well as a number 10. The latter is a profile we desperately need to add dynamism to our midfield.
However, the Morocco international has largely failed to remain consistent at Chelsea since he joined from Ajax. He is clearly not a favourite to start every game under manager Graham Potter.
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If he was being considered in a deal that doesn’t involve a swap and has a reasonable price put on it, then perhaps it wouldn’t have been the worst risk to take. But in no way should we swap a player from central midfield for him – a position we seriously need depth in.