The Mali boss has said something very interesting about what Tottenham Hotspur are doing ahead of Yves Bissouma’s involvement in the African Cup of Nations.
The midfielder has suffered multiple injury problems this season and has not played a single fixture for Tottenham Hotspur.
Despite his last competitive game for Spurs coming back in May, Bissouma has been named in Mali’s squad for the AFCON.
Reports indicate that Tottenham are keen to sell Bissouma in January, but in the meantime, it appears that the North London club are working closely with the player.
Tottenham are helping Yves Bissouma be fit for AFCON
Bissouma apologised to Spurs fans last week after being videoed inhaling laughing gas, but the 29-year-old could still be in hot water.
It has been suggested that the midfielder is facing disciplinary action from Tottenham for his latest misstep and may have no way back at the club.
However, Mali head coach Tom Saintfiet has now revealed that Spurs are working closely with him and his staff to help the former Brighton man be fit for the African Cup of Nations.
When asked about his captain, Saintfiet told ESPN: “It’s sad that he’s been inactive for a few months because of injury, but we are working together with Tottenham to get him back.
“We hope that he’ll be on the pitch during the AFCON to help our team. He’s always a major player for our team on and off the pitch, and we need him on our way to success.
“He’s a leader, a personality, an intelligent footballer, and he helps the team a lot. We’re helping him step by step to get [back to match sharpness], but we don’t put any pressure.
“We know that maybe game one will be too early for him, but we’ll see when he’s ready. We have a lot of good players, but we could rely on him, on and off the pitch, as our team captain.”
Spurs could be forced to extend Bissouma’s contract
It has emerged over recent days that West Ham and Everton have both cooled their interest in Bissouma ahead of the January window.
The midfielder’s current contract at Tottenham runs out at the end of the season, which is why the Lilywhites would be keen to cash in on him next month.
However, it has been confirmed that Spurs have the option to extend Bissouma’s contract by one more year, which they will take up if they are not able to offload him in January.
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