Heavily linked with a switch to Tottenham recently and said to be on the radar of both Liverpool and Everton. This young French enforcer has been hailed as the ‘New Patrick Vieira’, with Ligue 1 outfit Toulouse valuing the teenager as high as £25million. But exactly who is Moussa Sissoko? The Transfer Tavern asked Football Fancast columnist The New Voice of Football to investigate.
A product of the youth system at le Tef, where he has been since 2002, Moussa Sissoko is now one of the first names on the team-sheet at the Municipal Stadium after making his debut in 2007 and has so far made 65 league appearances for the French outfit. His exploits for Toulouse quickly earning him International recognition at Under-21 level in 2008, having already represented France in the U-16,17 & 18’s.
Hailed in some quarters as the ‘New Patrick Vieira’ at 19 years of age Sissoko has just dislodged the ageing and old Patrick Vieira from the French senior side. The Toulouse enforcer on the fringes of his first cap, after receiving his first call-up this month at the expense of the Arsenal legend. However, Sissoko has yet to gain his first cap after an impressive 12 caps for the Under-21’s, where Sissoko excelled.
Spurs were said to be in talks with the midfield enforcer’s advisors on Monday, with the North London side said to have made a bid of £12million to lure Sissoko away from France to White Hart Lane, with manager Harry Redknapp keen to find a midfield partner for Wilson Palacios at Tottenham.
However, TFC are said to have responded by demanding £25million for the teenager today, more than double the reported offer from the Premiership side. Toulouse desperate to keep together the team, which finished fourth in Ligue 1 last term and see Moussa as a pivotal part in their foray into the Europa Cup next season.
So we know he is highly-rated, highly-valued, and by all accounts highly-wanted, but what would Redknapp be getting for what will turn into a shed load of cash, should he continue his pursuit to bring Sissoko to North London? The “New Patrick Vieira’ they say?
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Sissoko is what you would call a genuine box-to-box midfielder. He can dictate play as easily as break it up and has that knack of finding time on the ball, which at just a young age bodes well for the future. Not a prolific goal-scorer from midfield by any means, with 7 in his 76 games for Toulouse, but this is still a good return for a player, who works hard for the side in both penalty areas.
Whether he could achieve in the Premiership what he has in France remains to be seen, but his consistency in pushing on to the next level whenever asked does not seem to be in question in his homeland.
Under contract until the summer of 2013, Toulouse can afford to ask for a handsome return on Sissoko, who is regarded as one of the brightest young prospects in France. £25million might be a little optimistic though and represents more of a broadside to ward off any potential suitors, than a valuation by Toulouse.
At 19, Sissoko still has the vast majority of his footballing career ahead of him and has no need to leave the side he has been at since before his teens. An improved bid by Spurs for the midfielder however, might get consideration from Toulouse, who like most clubs in the current financial climate need to balance the books and would find a big offer hard to resist.
This said, Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is not averse to getting his chequebook out in the summer, whether he will spend £25million on a teenager is another question. The Spurs chief renowned for his hard haggling in the boardroom and likes to squeeze the last drop out of every coming and going at White Hart Lane.
So with this in mind any deal for Sissoko could happen later rather than sooner. But should Sissoko arrive in England at Tottenham, will he Fly like the man he has drawn comparisons with? Or will the transition from France to the Premiership prove too much and cause the youngster to Die on his backside?
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