Roberto De Zerbi made the impact Tottenham Hotspur expected when they brought him on for Igor Tudor during the international break.
The Italian head coach led the Lilywhites to seven points from their first four Premier League games, with wins in their last two games against Aston Villa and Wolves.
Prior to his appointment, Spurs had scored just five points in 13 games in the top flight under Tudor and Thomas Frank, with the club sitting in the relegation zone.
De Zerbi’s arrival has brought back Tottenham players who looked set to leave the club under their previous manager, with Joao Parinha and Conor Gallagher, who scored in the last game against Villa, impressing.
However, there is only so much a manager can do, and one player who still has to let go this summer is central midfielder Yves Bissouma.
Why Spurs need to sign Yves Bissouma
The Mali international, who joined from Brighton for £25 million in the summer of 2022, is set to become a free agent when his contract expires at the end of June.
However, Spurs have the option to extend his contract for a further 12 months and should activate it so they can sign him during the summer transfer window.
If a team wants to sign him this summer, the Lilywhites could get some money back for his work in exchange for allowing him to leave on a free transfer.
Bisouuma | vs brighton | vs Wolves |
|---|---|---|
minutes | 57 | 62 |
Pass accuracy | 92% | 91% |
key pass | 0 | 0 |
shot | 0 | 0 |
Won a ground duel | 0/4 | 2/5 |
tackle | 0 | 0 |
intercept | 0 | 0 |
In his two recent starts for De Zerbi against Brighton and Wolves, Bissouma was subdued beyond providing a reliable pass and was sent off after the hour mark.
The 29-year-old midfielder has started just seven games in the Premier League this season, but he has yet to prove he has what it takes to be part of a long-term project and should be sold.
But Bissouma is not the only player in the squad who should be allowed to move from north London when the summer transfer window opens next month.
Worse than Yves Bissouma: no Spurs player should start in place of Roberto De Zerbi
Despite being available for all four matches, central defender Radu Dragusin has only played eight minutes of football for the Italian manager in the Premier League, coming on late in the 1-0 win against Wolves.
Ange Postecoglou signed the centre-back from Genoa in January 2024 for a fee of £25m, but in retrospect it may have been the Australian manager’s worst signing at Spurs.
At the time of his move to Tottenham, Dragusin ranked in the bottom 35% of centre-backs in Serie A with 1.61 progressive passes per 90, suggesting he was not suited to play effectively from the back in Postecoglou’s side.
Radu Dragushin (PL) | 24/25 | 25/26 |
|---|---|---|
Appearance | 16 | 9 |
begins | 14 | 5 |
Pass accuracy | 85% | 78% |
key pass | 5 | 0 |
Error led to shot | 3 | 1 |
A mistake led to a goal | 1 | 2 |
Since the start of last season, the Romanian centre-back has averaged a ball-play error that resulted in an opponent’s shot or a goal every 2.7 Premier League starts, highlighting his struggles when fading under pressure.
Dragusin doesn’t seem comfortable enough with the ball at his feet to play in a progressive team, which may be why he looked out of place under coach Postecoglou and perhaps why De Zerbi has yet to give him a starting role.
The 24-year-old defender therefore appears unfit for the task at hand and should be allowed to leave at the end of the season. That’s also why it was Postecoglou’s worst contract, as it was a move that didn’t make sense at the time and didn’t work out.
He has played at least 111 games for Spurs, even worse than Bissouma, who played the full 90 games against Man United in the Europa League final, and should be sold this summer.
Dragusin has shown little promise in North London, starting five Premier League games this season, and is expected to leave De Zerbi without starting a single game before the end of the season.
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