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AC Milan front-runners for Tottenham outcast ahead of 2026 January transfer window

Originally posted on To The Lane And Back
By Rohan Sengupta | Last updated Sep 20, 2025 8:12 PM ET

Tottenham outcast Yves Bissouma is eyed by AC Milan ahead of the January transfer window

Thomas Frank has made an exceptional start to life as head coach at Tottenham Hotspur with three wins from four games in the Premier League, while they also claimed a win in their opening Champions League fixture against Spanish side Villarreal.

The summer recruitment was an admirable one, with signings such as Mohammed Kudus and Joao Palhinha seamlessly becoming key figures in Thomas Frank’s system in north London. Apart from bringing in new players, Spurs also cleared their deck to some extent. Several players left the club on loan, while a few were permanently offloaded.

However, one player the club failed to move on in the summer transfer window was Yves Bissouma. The central midfielder has struggled to find both form and consistency since his move from Brighton and Hove Albion in 2022. The Malian international came close to leaving the north Londoners on several occasions, with Fenerbahce lining up a deal to take him to Turkey.

However, a move broke down and the Fenerbahce president Ali Koc revealed that they had some concerns over the 29-year-old’s fitness during medical tests, which forced them to switch targets. Yet, Spurs tried their best to offload Yves Bissouma after the transfer window slammed shut down for major European leagues, but to no avail.

AC Milan emerge surprise frontrunners for Bissouma

It appears there could be light at the end of the tunnel for Spurs regarding Bissouma’s situation. According to a report from Calciomercato, AC Milan have emerged as surprise frontrunners for Tottenham outcast. It is understood that the midfielder was offered to AC Milan in the summer, but they could find an agreement with Spurs.

Bissouma, who has only returned to training field after recovering from injury, certainly will be available in the next market due to the club’s desire to move him on. He is into the final 11 months of his contract, which puts considerable pressure on the Lilywhites to find a potential suitor for the player in January if they do not intend to lose him on a free transfer at the end of the season.

The aforementioned report adds Tottenham value the African enforcer at €20-25m, but his price is set to drop further as his contract expires in 2026. This can be tempting for AC Milan, who have their eyes on him. The Rossoneri sporting director Igli Tare has already started working behind the scenes to sign Bissouma in a cut-price deal in the New Year.

Milan seemingly preparing to make a move for Bissouma in January should delight the Hotspur Way bosses. The ex-Brighton star is not in Frank’s plans moving forward, so the Lilywhites should take what they potentially secure from Milan and get rid of him. Even if he is valued in the region of €20-25m, we don’t see Spurs getting anywhere close to that figure. Fans will now have to wait and see how the next couple of months unfolds for Bissouma at the club.

This article first appeared on To The Lane And Back and was syndicated with permission.

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