AC Milan considering move for Moussa Sissoko as Tottenham Hotspur eye wantaway Real Madid forward Isco
£30m summer signing Sissoko could leave White Hart Lane after just one underwhelming season
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Your support makes all the difference.Moussa Sissoko could leave Tottenham Hotspur for AC Milan in the summer after just one underwhelming season, with Mauricio Pochettino reportedly weighing up a move for unsettled Real Madrid forward Isco.
Tottenham spent £30m on Sissoko on the last day of the summer transfer window, narrowly beating Everton to his signature and netting Championship side Newcastle United a staggering £28m profit.
However Sissoko has struggled desperately since moving to White Hart Lane, starting just six matches for the Premier League club and being withdrawn in five of those.
The 27-year-old’s Tottenham career didn’t get off to the best of starts when he elbowed Bournemouth midfielder Harry Arter in one of his first appearances for the club, with the FA quick to hand him a retrospective three-match ban.
His struggles have only increased since returning from the suspension and Sissoko was particularly woeful in Tottenham’s recent 1-0 defeat to Gent in the Europa League.
Sissoko was withdrawn after 71 minutes and was then left out of Mauricio Pochettino’s squad to face Fulham in the FA Cup.
The Italian press are now reporting that AC Milan may be willing to offer the player an escape route, with Calciomercato reporting that Vincenzo Montella sees the player as an ideal addition to his struggling squad, who currently sit seventh in Serie A.
However AC Milan – whose record signing remains the £37m they paid Fiorentina for Manuel Rui Costa in 2000 – would be unwilling to spend anything near the fee Spurs paid Newcastle to land Sissoko in August, leaving club chairman Daniel Levy facing the prospect of a significant loss on the player.
Spurs could move to replace Sissoko with the Spanish playmaker Isco, if the Spanish press are to be believed.
The 24-year-old has only made 11 starts during Real’s 21 matches this season, and has played just 67 minutes in their Champions League campaign, leading to rumours he will agitate for a move away from the Santiago Bernabéu in the summer.
And Isco appeared to confirm as much in a recent interview with Bein Sports.
"I am calm though I am worried about getting more minutes," he said
"I am very happy here but a player's career is small. We'll make a decision at the end of the season - it's my future at stake."
Pochettino is familiar with Isco from his time spent managing Espanyol in La Liga, although Spurs will have a fight on their hands should they wish to sign the player, with Chelsea and Arsenal also alert to his transfer status.
In other news, Spurs expect Schalke to sign midfielder Nabil Bentabelb on a permanent basis in the summer, for £16m.
Bentaleb broke into the Tottenham first-team in Pochettino’s first season at White Hart Lane, but subsequently fell out of favour and joined Schalke on a season-long loan in August.
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