The Tottenham midfielder in question is set to return to the club in the coming days after Mali’s exit from the AFCON.
Thomas Frank has not managed to live up to expectations on his arrival at Tottenham Hotspur as a replacement for Ange Postecoglou in June 2025.
Spurs have seemingly regressed under the Danish tactician, losing their eighth league game of the campaign in midweek after going 3-2 down at Bournemouth. The defeat left Tottenham 14th in the table, a staggering 21 points behind arch-rivals and league leaders Arsenal. It is clear that Thomas Frank needs support in the transfer market to keep his job intact and salvage the Lilywhites’ campaign.
Having primarily focused on departures at the start of the winter transfer window, the Hotspur Way chiefs could finally have a player back they desperately want to move on from their books.
Yves Bissouma set to return to Tottenham after AFCON exit
Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign came to a disastrous end as he was sent off during Mali’s quarter-final elimination against Senegal.
He helped Mali reach past the Round of 16 in Morocco, but cost them after picking up a needless second yellow card in the first half of the following round. The 29-year-old was booked in the 23rd minute before getting the marching orders in the first minute of stoppage time for committing a heavy and reckless challenge.
A heated conversation between Yves Bissouma and the referee followed before he was sent off, leaving his national team down to 10 men. Everton winger Iliman Ndiaye’s goal for Senegal proved to be enough to eliminate Tom Saintfiet’s Mali side from the last eight.
Now, according to a report from Football London, Bissouma is expected to fly back to north London soon following the end of Mali’s AFCON hopes. It remains to be seen whether the combative midfielder will be immediately welcomed back to the squad by Frank.
The African star has yet to make an appearance for Spurs this season, owing to a combination of ill-discipline, injuries and off-field problems. Bissouma was dropped from the UEFA Super Cup game against Paris St-Germain in August 2025 due to persistent lateness, while a mix of ankle and knee issues kept him out of the squad.
The Ivory Coast-born ace has entered the final six months of his contract, and Tottenham want to cash him in this transfer window. However, with Rodrigo Bentancur suffering a ‘big’ hamstring injury in the defeat at Bournemouth, Frank is down to bare bones in midfield. It will be interesting to see whether Bentancur’s injury has an immediate bearing on the future of Bissouma and if Frank is forced to reintegrate him into his squad in the coming weeks.
