A former Newcastle United star found himself in transfer saga after pushing to leave the club
Moussa Sissoko with Newcastle United teammates
A former Newcastle United star was previously involved in a transfer battle (Image: Stu Forster/Getty Images)
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Former Newcastle United star Moussa Sissoko saw his dream move to Arsenal fail to materialise in 2016. The France international eventually sealed a £30million transfer to the Gunners' bitter north London rival Tottenham Hotspur on the final day of the window.
Sissoko had featured in the Newcastle side that endured top-flight relegation, though the then-26-year-old had no desire to play for the club in the second tier. Having helped France reach the Euro 2016 final, the midfielder harboured ambitions of joining a Champions League outfit.
A last-gasp agreement was subsequently reached between Spurs and Newcastle, who face each other on Tuesday. This enabled Sissoko to realise his European football ambitions with Arsenal's fiercest rivals bringing an end to his summer transfer saga.
The former Newcastle man had been clear about his intentions while away with his country in the build-up to the Euros. In an interview with Foot Mercato, he said: "It is flattering that a coach like [Benitez], a great coach, wants to keep me. But I think that he is aware. I have reached a level where playing in the Championship would be difficult for me."
He continued: "I want to leave. I would like to continue my career in England, in a club that plays Champions League football."
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When questioned regarding a prospective transfer to the Gunners, Sissoko added: "It is very flattering. Arsenal is one of the best European teams. To be watched by that sort of club, that proves that you are a quality player.
"Everyone knows, I often said it when I was young, Arsenal is the club of my heart, because there were quite a few French players there like Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, Sylvain Wiltord, Patrick Vieira, who was my idol..
Moussa Sissoko
Moussa Sissoko was an important player for France during Euro 2016(Image: Eric Verhoeven/Soccrates/Getty Images)
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"The beautiful Arsenal. We will see. I cannot tell you if I am going to go to Arsenal. For the moment, I am focused on the French national team and the Euros."
Despite declaring his ideal club, Arsenal did not complete a move for Sissoko. Instead, Spurs emerged victorious in a transfer tussle with Everton after agreeing to equal their £30m bid on deadline day.
"I went on holiday, and everyone knew I wanted to leave Newcastle to go to a bigger club, play in the Champions League and compete for titles," Sissoko revealed to FIFA's official website back in October 2016. "Thank God I signed for Tottenham. There were talks that started way before and everything happened in the last few hours.
"I would've liked for it to be done quicker. I was able to rest a bit still, but psychologically, it drained me a bit. I like to have a preseason with the team because it's easier to settle. Arriving at the end of the window isn't the same, even if I was lucky to be well received and everything went well."
Moussa Sissoko of Tottenham Hotspur
Sissoko played in a Champions League final at Spurs(Image: Erwin Spek/Soccrates/Getty Images)
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Sissoko, who had enjoyed a three-and-a-half-year spell on Tyneside, endured a difficult debut campaign at Tottenham, starting in just eight of his 25 Premier League outings. However, a year later, he remained adamant that he'd made the right choice.
Speaking to Yahoo Sport back in October 2017, he said: "I said it in the newspaper when I signed, I came to Tottenham because, although I respect Newcastle, for me Tottenham is better than Newcastle and they try to win the title in the league and you have a chance to play in the Champions League. That's what I wanted."
Sissoko's time at Spurs lasted five years and he notably started in the 2019 Champions League final. The 36-year-old recently joined Panathinaikos after previous spells with Watford and a two-year stint at Nantes.