Tottenham: Yves Bissouma left out of Spurs' squad for the UEFA Champions League | OneFootball

Unexpected omission for the Malian midfielder, dropped from the European list

Tottenham / Yves Bissouma

Yves Bissouma will not be part of Tottenham's squad for the group stage of the 2024-2025 UEFA Champions League. The Malian international is among six players excluded from the UEFA list submitted by Thomas Frank ahead of the September 2 deadline.

The 29-year-old midfielder has fallen victim to UEFA's restrictions on non-homegrown players. The arrival of Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig for €52 million complicated matters for the Danish manager. With squad places at a premium, several key players had to be sacrificed.

Bissouma is not the only one affected by this tough decision. Kota Takai, Radu Dragusin, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, and Mathys Tel have also been left out. For some, like Maddison and Kulusevski, injuries are part of the reason for their absence from the European roster.

A player seeking a new challenge

This omission comes as the Malian midfielder was already on the verge of leaving during the summer transfer window. Advanced negotiations with Galatasaray even led to personal terms being agreed, but the move ultimately fell through. West Ham United also expressed interest in securing his services.

Bissouma still has options to leave the London club, particularly in Turkey and Greece where the transfer window remains open until September 12. This situation could accelerate his departure in the coming days.