Tottenham Hotspur got their summer transfer window off to a positive start as they swiftly completed the signing of Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Yves Bissouma on a five-year deal for a fee in the region of £25m plus add-ons.
Tottenham had limited options in midfield and there were times in the 2020-21 season when bringing on Harry Winks did not seem too appealing an option against compact sides defending deep. Oliver Skipp missed out on the latter part of the season with an injury and Spurs often needed someone who could not only shield the rearguard but impact the play going forward.
While Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has been consistently solid in the middle of the park, the Lilywhites needed a more dynamic option not only to afford the former Southampton player the occasional rest, but also to increase competition in the squad.
Antonio Conte had to rely upon the midfield duo of Rodrigo Bentancur and Hojbjerg since the January window but given the added workload and increased level of competition in the Champions League, the arrival of a further option in midfield was of paramount importance.
This is where Yves Bissouma could turn out to be so vital for Tottenham. The 25-year-old is the perfect player to keep a balance between his defensive and offensive duties when deployed alongside someone like Bentancur. Bissouma not only has amazing tackling ability but is also an excellent dribbler, often weaving his team out of trouble with his ball control in tight spaces.
Yves Bissouma can also carry the ball forward, after making interceptions to launch counterattacks. The Malian also boasts of some excellent defensive stats, his tackling rate of 2.2 per game and interceptions rate of 1.9 per game is better than Hojbjerg’s 2.2 and 1.3, who himself was amazing for Tottenham in the 2020-21 season.
Although Hojbjerg has been brilliant for Tottenham defensively, he often tries to find the nearest player when put under even a little pressure. This often takes the sting out of the attack.
Bentancur and Skipp both tend to stray forward and having someone like Bissouma at his disposal, especially with five substitutes, will give Antonio Conte the luxury of options to rotate from without compromising on the quality. It will further ensure that Tottenham have a Plan B if they wish to switch formations.
Tottenham have already added the likes of Ivan Perisic and now bringing on board someone of Bissouma’s quality shows that Daniel Levy seems keen to back Antonio Conte in the market. The squad already looks better on paper and fine tuning a couple of more areas on the pitch will make Spurs a strong contender to challenge the top guns in the Premier League.
