Report: Tottenham Hotspur midfielder heading for exit door with deal in progress | OneFootball

Benfica Move for Yves Bissouma Offers Tottenham Fresh Questions Over Midfield Exit

Benfica have made an approach for Yves Bissouma after the midfielder became a free agent this summer, with the Portuguese club exploring what could become one of the more intriguing value deals of the market. According to Mais Futebol, contact is already underway as Benfica weigh up a move for a player they regard as a high-upside opportunity.

From Benfica’s perspective, the logic is easy to follow. Bissouma is available without a transfer fee, he has extensive Premier League experience, and at his best he has shown the athleticism, aggression and technical quality to influence games at a very high level. For clubs operating carefully in the market, those profiles are difficult to ignore, particularly when European competition places extra demands on squad depth.

His time at Tottenham, though, leaves a more complicated picture. Across four seasons in England, including his earlier spell at Brighton, Bissouma built a reputation as a midfielder capable of controlling transitions and adding intensity in and out of possession. Yet his final campaign in north London was badly interrupted, with discipline concerns and inconsistent availability undermining any chance of sustained momentum.

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Benfica Transfer Strategy Centers on Market Value

That is where Benfica may feel there is space to act decisively. Portuguese clubs have often targeted players seeking a reset, and Bissouma clearly falls into that category. The report suggests he wants to revive his career after a difficult closing period in the Premier League, and Benfica may believe their environment can offer the platform for that recovery.

There is also recent pedigree on his side. His most memorable contribution in a Tottenham shirt came in May 2025, when he completed the full 90 minutes in the Europa League final victory over Manchester United. Performances like that explain why there remains interest despite the issues that followed.

Yves Bissouma Future Could Move Quickly

Negotiations are expected to continue over the coming days, with Benfica working on personal terms and aware there may be rival interest. For now, this feels like a deal driven by opportunity, timing and a belief that a talented player can still be recovered in the right setting.

If Benfica can get it done, they may feel they are signing a midfielder with Champions League-level quality for £0, which in any market is a significant opening.

Our View

As a frustrated Tottenham supporter, this report is maddening because it feels like the story of the last few years in one player. You could always see the talent with Bissouma. On his day, he could dominate midfield, win duels, carry the ball and give Spurs the sort of authority they have too often lacked. Then, just when it looked like he might finally put everything together, something would derail it.

That is the real annoyance here. Tottenham are watching a player who should have been a major midfield presence leave for nothing, and another club may now benefit if they can steady him and rebuild his confidence. Benfica are looking at a market opportunity. Spurs fans are looking at wasted potential.

It also reflects badly on the club’s squad building. Too many signings in recent years have arrived with obvious ability but without the consistency, availability or focus required to push Tottenham on properly. Bissouma was supposed to be a difference-maker, not a cautionary tale.

If he thrives in Portugal, plenty of Spurs supporters will probably feel a mix of frustration and resignation. The Europa League final showed what he could contribute when everything clicked. The problem was that those moments became too rare. In the end, Tottenham needed reliability as much as talent, and they never truly got enough of either from him.

Source: Mais Futebol