Yves Bissouma is on the verge of completing his transfer to Ajax and that news has now also reached the British media. They have been particularly outspoken about the midfielder.
Attention in England comes as no surprise, with Bissouma having spent the past four years under contract at Tottenham Hotspur. But the Mali international has not left an entirely positive impression. The British media have no doubts about his footballing ability, yet the stories around his misconduct still dominate the coverage.
Journalist Jack Johnson of talkSPORT wrote: “That his contract was not extended at Spurs did not come as a surprise. That was not only because of his knee injury in his final season, but also because of the various problems he had off the pitch. After he had arrived late several times, then-manager Thomas Frank left him out of the squad because of a ‘lack of discipline’.”
talkSPORT then added: “That incident was directly linked to the video he had posted on social media, in which he was using nitrous oxide. Even after his suspension, he was reportedly filmed for a second time while using a nitrous oxide balloon.”
The Mirror adds that Bissouma later explained that a burglary at his home had major consequences for his mental state. The Malian said the traumatic incident led to anxiety, panic, depression and paranoia, and that was how he came into contact with nitrous oxide.
Even so, the British media still see that as a risk for Ajax and have issued a clear warning. “Ajax will have to keep a closer eye on Bissouma than their predecessors did, in order to prevent a repeat of that situation,” The Sun writes.
On Monday evening, Valentijn Driessen voiced a similar view on Vandaag Inside . He is also highly sceptical about Bissouma’s impending arrival. “That is some Malian who is more into nitrous oxide than he is present at training. Nitrous oxide for recreational use, and for a footballer at that! Jordi Cruyff did not want Noa Lang because he was supposedly a difficult footballer, but if you bring this one in… then you really are bringing in trouble.”
Bissouma is reportedly in Amsterdam for his medical. After that, the midfielder will sign a contract until mid-2027, with the option of a further year.