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A surprise transfer could be completed between Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur.
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Aston Villa are reportedly monitoring the situation of out-of-sorts Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Yves Bissouma ahead of the summer transfer window.
Unai Emery is keen to improve depth at the base of his midfield following injury struggles in that position throughout the course of this season. At one stage, when Villa were playing twice a week consecutively during January and February, Youri Tielemans and John McGinn were hardly afforded a rest as the likes of Boubacar Kamara, Amadou Onana and Ross Barkley were all sidelined at the same time.
Bissouma is surprisingly an option - if a recent report is to be believed - despite struggling to lock down a starting XI spot in an injury-stricken Spurs side. To make matters worse, the Mali international hasn’t been able to get into what has been statistically Tottenham’s worst side since 2003/04, when they finished 14th in the Premier League.
Nonetheless, Emery loves working with players who were previously excellent and have lost their way, with Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio the best recent examples. Perhaps Villa could offer Bissouma some reprieve from what appears to be - from the outside at least - a toxic environment at Spurs.
That’s what has been suggested by TEAMtalk, anyhow, with the publication claiming Bissouma is a “confirmed target” for Villa ahead of the summer. The report states Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou has already decided to part ways with Bissouma in the next transfer window as he has failed to live up to expectations.
“I just feel Biss can sometimes let the game drift by him,” Postecoglou said of Bissouma last week. “He needs to be a little bit more dominant in the way he gets on the ball. At times I think the game gets away from him and we need more in that position.
“I need him to play though, because he hasn’t played a lot. At the same time, you’ve got to perform. It’s fair to say, Biss and a few others are probably lacking a bit of confidence. That’s affecting him but we’re at the point of the season now where we need guys to get out there and put those things to one side and perform,” he said.
Could Aston Villa revive Yves Bissouma’s career?
Bissouma is undoubtedly a top talent; it’s just not gone his way over the past few years. The Malian’s first campaign at Spurs was a struggle as he played just 1,004 minutes in the Premier League, but the season after was far better as he racked up more than double that game time. It’s been back to square one this term, however, with a total of only 1,145 league minutes so far.
What Bissouma probably needs - as Postecoglou alluded to - is a proper run in a team that’s feeling confident. Villa, albeit not quite as strong this season compared to last, are firing on all cylinders to be competitive in as many competitions as possible. Then, most importantly, Emery is the man in charge.
Bissouma was widely considered one of the Premier League’s best midfielders when he left Brighton & Hove Albion for £30 million in 2022, and rightfully so as he dominated the centre of the park in what was at the time the Seagulls’ best-ever top-flight season. If anyone can help Bissouma get back on track and rediscover that form, it’s got to be Emery. Surely.
Would you like to see Bissouma at Villa Park? Let us know in the comments section.