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Moussa Sissoko

From Statsbomb:

Moussa Sissoko and Georges-Kévin Nkoudou

Vincent Janssen gets a pass here despite a tough year because he’s young, but mainly because it was possible to create an argument that he might have been a good signing prior to his arrival. No such case exists for Moussa Sissoko or Georges-Kévin Nkoudou.

It has been tough to break into Tottenham’s first team this season, but on paper, you might expect a £30m French international signing–no, not N’Golo Kante–to knock hard on the door and look to make an impact. Sissoko, has not managed to do this. An ironic season highlight was his shepherding the ball near the corner flag as Tottenham eked out a 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace last week, it represented a rare tangible benefit to his being on the pitch. The main problem with the Sissoko signing isn’t so much that he has failed to have any impact–he hasn’t, having started just ten games in all competitions–it is that it was entirely foreseeable.

As the transfer window came to a close last summer, Saudi Sportswashing Machine fans couldn’t hide their glee that Everton and Tottenham appeared to be battling for their erratic midfielder. Buoyed by an apparently successful Euros (one wonders how he made that squad given France’s depth of talent) and despite having just participated in relegation, he was in demand.

But why? During his three and a half years at Saudi Sportswashing Machine he averaged around two goals and four assists per season and was rarely creative. He had an engine, sure and he could run with the ball, a bit, but nothing about him suggested he had anywhere near enough end product to justify such an elevated fee. Add in that he was 27, significantly older than Tottenham’s generally youthful transfer focus and everything about the deal made no sense. For those who expected little, he has not disappointed. And the fee! Daniel Levy came through for his manager here, but may not again, at least not like this.

Having arrived for £9m from Marseille, N’Koudou could not be easily quantified either. He has made just six substitute appearances in the league for a combined 47 minutes. Is he for the future? It seems unlikely. He’s quick but that’s about it. Like Sissoko, nothing in his stats from his time at his former club suggested that he was a player that could fit in or thrive at a top six Premier League club, and sure enough, he hasn’t.

Tottenham have made great strides in recent years and often found gems in the transfer market. However, Victor Wanyama apart–a player already known to the manager– the summer of 2016 was a car crash. If anything changed in the player selection process there, it might be advisable to change it again.
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Have to agree with that. Sissoko wasn't anything special at Saudi Sportswashing Machine. Proficient is maybe the best you could say. He looks okay in the last quarter of an intensive game where space opens up for him to run into, otherwise, what does he bring? N'Koudou is younger, too early to look for stats from him. He's 21 or 22 isn't he?
 
I was several times impressed with Nkoudou coming into the game and think he should have been given more playing time during last season. He has pace, good dribbling ability, not afraid of going forward and facing 2-3 opponents, but still lacks end product and doesn't always understand what to do and how we play in the final third. May be a loan to a mid/low-table EPL team will become a good thing to him. A team like Bournemouth will suit him well.
However, I can't remember a long spell of a game when I was impressed with Sissoko (tbf usually I was angry with his actions). He was great during Euros and I think it bought us.
Not his defensive stats, nor his attacking suggest that he brings anything important to our team even as a squad player. He is 28 this summer and will barely progress as a player. I suppose he won't be able to bring anything special to our team and we should cut looses in the summer, replacing him with somebody else who'll give us a real attacking option and squad depth. This is what we really lacked last season, facing ~800 days of team injuries. As for me, Zaha was exactly that man, but he decided to stay at Crystal Palace. I can't wait for Lamela to return and hopefully everything will be allright with him, but still I think we should add one verstile attacking minded player.

Also don't forget about Njie who was on loan at Marseille. Club should make any sort of decision about him as well.
 
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Didier Deschamps has told Moussa Sissoko to start playing or leave Tottenham if he wants to keep his place in the France squad. The £30million winger has been called up for the friendlies with Paraguay and England next month and a World Cup qualifier in Sweden. That's despite failing to score in his troubled first season at White Hart Lane, having arrived from Saudi Sportswashing Machine last August.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/moussa-sissoko-warned-world-cup-10525601
 
NaijaSpurs said:
Didier Deschamps has told Moussa Sissoko to start playing or leave Tottenham if he wants to keep his place in the France squad. The £30million winger has been called up for the friendlies with Paraguay and England next month and a World Cup qualifier in Sweden. That's despite failing to score in his troubled first season at White Hart Lane, having arrived from Saudi Sportswashing Machine last August.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/moussa-sissoko-warned-world-cup-10525601
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How much did we have to pay Deschamps for that little nudge?
 
Legohamster said:
Any hopes we have learnt deadline day signings don't tend to work?
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It is not signing a player on the deadline day that is the problem, as long you discover the target in due time, the signing date is not an issue. The problem is the panic buy that happen on the deadline day.
 
I'd be amazed if anyone would cough up more than £5 million for him. IMV he's not worth even half of that. Will probably get north of £15 million for him though. £40 million to West Ham? :D Let's give them their marquee big money signing!
 
Olle73 said:
It is not signing a player on the deadline day that is the problem, as long you discover the target in due time, the signing date is not an issue. The problem is the panic buy that happen on the deadline day.
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Sissoko wasn't a panic buy, we had been tracking him all summer. The reason it was left until the last minute was because Saudi Sportswashing Machine preferred the terms that Everton were offering, we weren't prepared to match them and our offer wasn't considered until it was clear that Sissoko wouldn't go to Everton.
 
milo said:
Sissoko wasn't a panic buy, we had been tracking him all summer. The reason it was left until the last minute was because Saudi Sportswashing Machine preferred the terms that Everton were offering, we weren't prepared to match them and our offer wasn't considered until it was clear that Sissoko wouldn't go to Everton.
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Which proves how hard it can be to be successful on the transfer market.
 
Legohamster said:
Thank GHod the nightmare is almost over.

Any hopes we have learnt deadline day signings don't tend to work?
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And that throwing huge sums at players ( like some fans love us doing) does not always mean we are getting a top player or more to the point that ALL transfers are a gamble.
 
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