da betsul: Huzzah! Another transfer rumour this time concerning a player that can only be described as the new Vieira…
da bwin: To label a player the ‘new Vieira’ is perhaps a curse nearly as fatal as that of the ‘new Zidane’ (just ask Salif Diao, Mohamed Sissoko or Adel Taarabt), but in fairness to Moussa Sissoko, the Toulouse midfielder looks like a player with a bright future.
According to various sources, Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City, Internazionale, Juventus, Bayern Munich and Olympique Lyonnais (to name but a few) are all chasing the 20 year old French international. Tottenham Hotspur bid as much as £15.5m for the player last summer, only for club president Olivier Sadran to decide against selling their starlet.
The player established himself in the Toulouse first team squad at just 18 years old in the 2007/08 season, and has subsequently been played regularly in the centre of midfield.
Sissoko was part of the Toulouse side that finished fourth in Ligue 1 last term, earning the club a place in the Europa League, and he has so far this season scored six goals in 35 appearances in all competitions this season.
Sissoko evokes memories of Chelsea’s Michael Essien in his ability to attack and defend, with his six goals from midfield a good return from a young midfielder playing for a mid-table team (Toulouse are 12th in Ligue 1). Sissoko already has two caps for France, and for his age is physically strong, and would no doubt be well suited to the pace and power of the Premier League.
The Player was rated by Toulouse at 30 million Euros last summer, but according to recent rumours linking the Frenchman with Arsenal, he might cost as little as £12m. This is unlikely considering that Sissoko signed an extension to his contract last November, keeping him at the club until 2013. Allegedly, the contract also included a minimum release clause fee that would probably render the player more expensive than the £12m quoted in some reports.
Sissoko is a raw talent, and has yet to prove himself in the Champions League or at international level for Les Bleus. The player might well need another season in Ligue 1 before he is ready to play regularly for a top side. However, the fact that Sissoko is just 20 years, and has already played at a high level for three seasons, means he may well be deemed worth the investment.
Juventus, Manchester United and Arsenal are the clubs most strongly linked with the player, with Tottenham Hotspur having dropped their interest after their singing of the Brazilian midfielder Sandro.
You can catch some of Moussa Sissoko’s better moments here on youtube
[youtube 3ITBvggd3R0]
You can find me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/mark0turner