Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly set to hand midfielder Yves Bissouma a new contract to prevent him from leaving for free next summer, according to the Daily Mail.
His current deal with Tottenham expires at the end of the season, and the club is ready to exercise the one-year option to preserve his value if they cannot sell him in January.
All signs point to Bissouma never playing for Spurs again, but they want insurance.
The 29-year-old was poor last season, and many people expected he would be sold this summer, but he stuck around because clubs weren’t willing to take the punt on him.
He failed to convince Spurs manager Thomas Frank this season and angered him by arriving late to one too many team meetings.
Tottenham will listen to offers for Bissouma in January, with Fulham showing interest in signing him.
The decision to trigger the extension is risky. Bissouma attracted no serious suitors when Spurs were prepared to offload him for £10 million, and there is no guarantee that the situation has changed.
If clubs were unwilling to gamble on him at that price, they may be even more hesitant now, given his recent form, disciplinary issues and injury record.
Tottenham may hope the extra year protects his value, but it could just as easily leave them saddled with a high-earning squad player they cannot shift.
With Bissouma on a sizeable salary and little evidence of a market developing for him, Spurs could be stuck with an unwanted asset.
If they get him off the books, Spurs should consider swooping for younger defensive midfielders such as Ayyoub Bouaddi and Aleksandar Stankovic.
