Yves Bissouma has epitomised Tottenham’s inconsistency during his time in North London.
Bissouma’s arrival from Brighton in 2022 was considered a huge coup for Spurs following the 28-year-old’s exceptional four-year spell with the Seagulls, where he became one of the most dominant central midfielders in the Premier League.
However, things did not go according to plan as Antonio Conte never fully showed faith in the Mali international before he suffered from a serious ankle injury.
A brief resurgence during Ange Postecoglou’s early reign at Spurs offered the Lilywhites some hope, but the following 18 months were marred by numerous indifferent performances and ill-discipline.
With one year left on his contract, Bissouma has been mooted to leave Spurs, but recent developments could incentivise Thomas Frank to take a closer look at the 28-year-old.
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Bissouma named Mali’s Player of the Year
While Bissouma has frustrated the Spurs faithful for rarely living up to his talent in N17, he will go down in folklore for his displays in the latter stages of the UEFA Europa League after being brought back from the cold.
Bissouma performed admirably in a double-pivot alongside Rodrigo Bentancur and was a huge part of Spurs’ success in keeping a clean sheet in the final.
He also captained his nation to some important victories over the last year, and as a result, was named Mali’s Player of the Year at his country’s football awards ceremony (21 June).
It was a fairytale end to a difficult year for the defensive midfielder, who only made 16 starts in the Premier League last season.
This late turnaround will give Frank, who is thought to prefer Archie Gray, plenty to think about, and could see the Dane give Bissouma yet another chance to prove himself at Tottenham.
Bissouma could flourish under Frank
For most of Bissouma’s career with the Lilywhites, he was deployed as the sole pivot in midfield and tasked with single-handedly shielding the defence.
He often looked lost and cut an isolated figure, but Frank’s disposition is to play two players close together in the middle of the park.
This could help the Mali captain in numerous ways, as it would give him license to revert to what he is best at and carry the ball through midfield while offering him a helping hand with defensive responsibilities.
As shown in the Europa League final, he is very effective in operating in a more rigid formation, and should he be paired with someone more adept at receiving and passing the ball, he could well rebuild his Spurs career as a vital cog in midfield under the Dane’s tutelage.