What are Spurs getting in £30m man Moussa Sissoko – have Everton dodged a bullet?

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Tottenham Hotspur equalled their transfer record to bring in French international Moussa Sissoko from Championship side Newcastle United.

Portugal’s Adrien Silva in action with France’s Moussa Sissoko

One of the biggest stories of transfer deadline day involved Moussa Sissoko’s dramatic switch from Newcastle United to Tottenham Hotspur.

The £30m man was set for a move to Everton after the Toffees met the Magpies’ valuation for their player but then Tottenham, who had previously cooled their interest in the player, came back with an 11th hour bid.

And with the added draw of Champions League football, the French midfielder opted to move to the North London club.

The £30m deal equals Spurs’ record breaking move for Erik Lamela in 2013 and has raised questions following the Sissoko’s efforts for a Newcastle side that were relegated last season.

Tottenham’s Harry Kane (R) in action with Newcastle’s Moussa Sissoko

The 27-year-old had been trying to force a move away from St. James’ Park all summer and after a stellar European Championships with the French national side, United slapped a £30m price-tag on the player.

And it took until the final hours for a deal to finally be struck as Sissoko became the most expensive Championship player of all-time.

So what have Spurs got in their £30m man?

Portugal’s Renato Sanches in action with France’s Moussa Sissoko

First and foremost, Sissoko is an athletic player whose key strengths lie in his pace and power with driving forward runs capable of causing problems for many a defence – much like we saw at Euro 2016.

But with that comes a player who has little in the way of end product, with just one goal and seven assists last season.

Three of those assists came in a single game as Newcastle ran riot against Norwich City to claim a 6-2 victory.

However, in the final match of last season Sissoko caused Tottenham’s defence all sorts of problems as the relegated Magpies strolled to a 5-1 victory at St. James’ Park.

That performance may have had something to do with Mauricio Pochettino’s eagerness to sign the Frenchman who, on his day, is unplayable.

Newcastle’s Moussa Sissoko in action with Tottenham’s Jan Vertonghen

However, if you ask Newcastle fans, those days seemed to come once in a blue moon as Sissoko perpetually underperformed during his three-and-a-half years at the club.

After a lightning start at United with three goals in his first three matches, Sissoko went on to score just nine more in 130 appearances in all competitions.

As a player who had shown his talent in glimpses, Magpies’ fans became increasingly frustrated with the Frenchman as he regularly appeared disinterested for a side fighting for their Premier League status.

And because of that, many Newcastle fans will be glad to see the back of him and the £30m fee paid by Spurs for a player who cost United little over £1m in 2013 and underperformed ever since, has no doubt caused them some amusement.

Newcastle fans behind manager Rafael Benitez

Though they’ll know that if Sissoko were to put in the effort and consistently perform to the best of his ability at White Hart Lane, then he could prove to be a good signing for the Lilywhites.

And here is how the Frenchman statistically held up against Tottenham’s other midfield options last season:

It is worth bearing in mind that Sissoko was playing for a struggling Newcastle side while Spurs were flying high near the top of the table but this doesn’t make too good reading for their new recruit.

With even defensive player Eric Dier outscoring him, Sissoko will need to show a big improvement at his new club in order to justify his hefty price-tag.

In fact, Sissoko only comes out top in crossing accuracy and contests won showing his potential usefulness as a powerful wideman if nothing else.

So it’s fair to say that Spurs have overpaid for the former Newcastle man but in the ever inflating transfer market, it hardly comes as a surprise.

At 27, Sissoko is unlikely to improve a massive amount at Spurs as Newcastle will have been happy to cash in on the player for such a healthy profit while Sissoko will be delighted to have secured a move to a Champions League club.

Everton may feel disappointed to have missed out on a target but should Sissoko fail to make an impact at his new club then they will certainly believe they’ve dodged a very pricey bullet.

Moussa Sissoko playing for France

Is Sissoko a good signing for Spurs?