Tottenham are set to welcome back Yves Bissouma back into the squad during a period where the team have struggled through injury
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Yves Bissouma is set to return to the club in the near future, as his nation Mali have been knocked out of the Africa Cup of Nations. The 29-year-old captained the side for four of their five matches in the competition, registering draws against hosts Morocco and Comoros, before a penalty shootout win over Tunisia in the round of 16.
Mali then faced off with Senegal in the quarter-finals of AFCON, looking to reach the final four of the competition, only to be halted. An Iliman Ndiaye goal in the 27th minute was enough to hand his side passage to the semi-finals, as Spurs star Pape Matar Sarr remained an unused substitute in the match.
It was despair for Bissouma and Mali, made even worse by the Tottenham man's red card in the first half. He was booked in the 23rd minute for a foul, before picking up a second yellow card in first-half stoppage time, reducing the team to just ten men.
He is now set to fly back to Hotspur Way for the second-half of the campaign, but it remains to be seen if he is part of Thomas Frank's plans moving forward. Bissouma is yet to make an appearance in the Premier League so far this season, with injuries plaguing him under the new manager.
A mixture of ankle and knee problems have kept him sidelined, even ensuring he missed the first group stage match of AFCON. There have been doubts over his place under the Danish head coach, however, after he was dropped from the Uefa Super Cup game against Paris St-Germain in August due to lateness.
With the January transfer window open, it could be a moment for Bissouma, who Transfermarkt rate at £13m, to pick a new path in his career. The midfielder was signed back in 2023 from Brighton for £30m, which appeared to be a bargain, considering the quality he had shown.
While there have been a few moments of quality, Bissouma has struggled to make the midfield position his own in exactly 100 appearances for the club. It's unclear whether those struggles, and his latest red card for Mali, will put teams off making a move for him, however, which could put any exit at jeopardy.
Tottenham are in a position where they need to balance a squad turnover at the same time as dealing with the injury problems within the squad. An exit for Brennan Johnson has already been secured, as the forward made his way to Crystal Palace in a deal worth £35m.
Kota Takai and Jamie Donley have both made loan moves, while focus may well be on who could be brought in to strengthen the squad. Brazilian left-back Souza is being lined up for a potential switch to Hotspur Way, with the 19-year-old impressing in his time at Santos.
More emphasis may need to be placed on the midfield and forward ranks, however, to help fix the problems that Tottenham are facing. Spurs have struggled to progress the ball through central midfield, while there is a balance required to have those who can be physical in the middle of the park too.
In the forward areas, injuries to the likes of Mohammed Kudus, James Maddison, and Dejan Kulusevski among those injured, the side looking lightweight and unable to cause much threat to the opposition goal. With Johnson, last season's top-scorer, now gone, it may be that another attacker is brought in.
"We're working very, very, very hard to see if we can improve the squad," Frank told the media about the transfer window before the weekend's cup match with Aston Villa.
"Johan [Lange], Fabio [Paratici], Vinai [Venkatesham], everyone in and around the club, recruitment department is doing that. January is a very, very, very difficult window.
"It's very important to get short-term success and long-term success. Everything is linked. So players we are bringing in, it's because we think they can improve the squad and the team."