Football can be an incredibly cruel game, and nobody knows that better right now than Yves Bissouma. Just a year after helping Tottenham Hotspur lift the UEFA Europa League trophy, the Mali international has been hit with the ultimate reality check. Spurs have officially released their summer retained list, confirming that the 29-year-old midfielder will be brutally shown the exit door when his contract expires at the end of this month.
It is a stunning fall from grace for a man who originally cost the North London club a hefty £30 million back in 2022. Tottenham took to social media to drop a brief, cold message of appreciation, writing: “We can confirm the departure of Yves Bissouma following the conclusion of his contract. Thank you for your service and all the best for the future, Biss.”
While the statement was corporate and polite, the underlying reality is that the hierarchy at the club was desperate to slash his wages off the books.
The recently concluded Premier League campaign was an absolute nightmare for both the player and the club. Tottenham endured a miserable, toxic season, miraculously avoiding a catastrophic relegation on the very final day of the season. Bissouma was a shadow of his former self, struggling for both form and fitness in an injury-disrupted year where he managed to crawl his way to just 11 league appearances. Combined with some high-profile off-field disciplinary issues, the writing was on the wall long before the final whistle blew in May.
It feels bizarre to say a player is being “ditched” when he was the heartbeat of their continental success in 2025. Fans will never forget his masterclass performances in both legs of the Europa League semi-final against Bodo/Glimt, or how he bossed the midfield against Manchester United in the final in Bilbao to hoist the trophy. But in football, memories are dangerously short.
Now, Bissouma faces the daunting prospect of finding a new home as a free agent on July 1st. Despite his recent struggles in London, a dynamic, press-resistant midfielder with 111 Tottenham appearances under his belt on a free transfer is going to turn some major heads. Turkish giants Galatasaray and Amed SK have already been heavily linked with a swoop, while a few Major League Soccer franchises are reportedly preparing ambitious packages. His Tottenham chapter ended in a whimper, but the battle for his signature is about to heat up.
