By Ewah Chika.
Tottenham fans will be in wild jubilation after the North Londoners thumped Merseyside Blue's Everton to the £30 million signing of French man Moussa Sissoko from Newcastle United on the transfer deadline day.
Spurs are signing a versatile midfielder in Sissoko as the player can play in a variety of positions in midfield. The French man's industry and determination will suit Mauricio Porchetino's direct energy game. Sissoko is also a strong , tall, randy and hard tackling player with a devastating pace that will torment even the best defences . During the Euro's, the former Toulouse box-to-box midfielder was expected to struggle in a French team that had the likes of Anthony Martial, Antonie Griezmann, Dmitri Payet and Paul Pogba yet this wasn't the case as he came out on tops at the end, starting the semi-final against Germany and also the final against Portugal. Sissoko was not only devastating in the game against Germany but also unplayable , dominating the game from the right flank.
On the other hand, Spurs fans should ask themselves if Sissoko is an upgrade on the likes of Dele Alli, Erik Lamela, Christian Erikson and Moussa Dembele? The answer is a No as the French man scored only one goal providing seven assists last season for Newcastle United in a season they club was relegated from the English top flight . Sissoko's greatest problem in England since his £1.5 million signing by Newcastle in January 2013, is his inconsistent displays, poor conversion rate and poor decision making in the final third. To buttress further , the player's stats of only 11 goals in 118 league games for Newcastle is not only poor but terrible. Sissoko also sulks when asked to play in any position outside his favourite No.10. Last season, the midfielder always failed to play on the right, drifting to the centre at any given opportunity after he was moved to the right flank as Giorgio Wjinaldum was preferred in that position behind the main striker (Papis Cisse or Mitrovic). At £30 million, it is difficult to see the player that Sissoko will displace in North London as all the attacking players at the club are far more productive than the midfielder . This makes his signing a squad upgrade rather than an upgrade on the starting eleven and one will have to ask the question that why Spurs have ended up spending such money for a squad player.
It is also difficult to fathom the reason Tottenham have moved to sign a player who on several occasions have publicly professed him love and admiration for Spurs greatest rivals Arsenal considering the rivalry between the two North London clubs.
"I have reached a level where playing in the Championship would be difficult for me. I need to continue to evolve.
"It is flattering. Arsenal is one of the best European teams. Everyone knows, I often said it when I was young, Arsenal is the club of my heart ," were the midfielder's words seven weeks ago while appealing to Arsene Wenger to sign him for the Gunners.
Like every other player Moussa Sissoko has his strengths and flaws and only time will tell if it was a wise decision to sign him for £30 million on transfer deadline day .
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