5 Tottenham replacements for Yves Bissouma during AFCON | OneFootball

Under Ange Postecoglou, Tottenham Hotspur have gotten off to a fine start this season. Injuries have seen them take a little hit recently, but there's no taking away how good they've looked under the Australian for the most part. Additions like James Maddison and Micky van de Ven have been influential in that success. So has the decision to move Son Heung-min into the lead striker role. The South Korean has thrived taking over from Harry Kane and is in the form of his career right now.

Another key component to Spurs' impressive form so far is Yves Bissouma who has become a very, very good midfielder for the north London side. Following his move from Brighton & Hove Albion in 2022, the 27-year-old took a little time finding his feet but has recently really hit his stride and become a major figure at the club.

While the club have been hit by several big injuries, with Maddison and Van de Ven both set to miss considerable time, they're also looking at a future where they will be without Bissouma for quite some time as well. The Mali international will be taking part in the African Cup of Nations in early 2024 with his national team, meaning he will be unavailable to Postecoglou for a prolonged amount of time. That's going to be a problem and to combat that, Spurs need to find a replacement. We've been thinking about it and have come up with five solid options that the club should consider.

Whether it's outside talent looking for a change of scenery or young prospects already within the club's ranks who are just waiting for the right opportunity to establish themselves, here are five possible replacements for Bissouma at Tottenham when he leaves for the Africa Cup of Nations.

Oliver Skipp

First things first, Tottenham can look within their squad at a couple of players who are already among their ranks in an effort to find a replacement for Bissouma. First up, Oliver Skipp, who has been with the club throughout his entire career, would be a solid option and the absence of the former Brighton man could present the Englishman with the opportunity that he's been craving.

So far this year, Skipp has played eight times for Spurs, but he's started just twice and with Bissouma set to miss a prolonged period of time due to the African Cup of Nations, he may very well benefit from the absence and slot into that starting role and make it his own. We all know how Tottenham have traditionally been reluctant to really splash the cash in the past, so looking into their own squad for someone to fill the hole that their current star will leave in early 2024 feels very likely.

He's not the only man in the Tottenham side that they could turn to in an effort to temporarily replace Bissouma, as we'll discuss in a moment, but there's still a strong chance Skipp is the man entrusted with the position.

Rodrigo Bentancur

Another man currently at Tottenham who could be tasked with replacing Bissouma while he is away on international duty in early 2024 is Rodrigo Bentancur. The former Juventus man hasn't had the best of times staying healthy at Spurs, but when he is available, he's a very strong asset for the club and has shone on the pitch.

Slowly working his way back from a torn cruciate ligament, the 26-year-old could be completely back up to speed by the time Bissouma departs for the African Cup of Nations and what perfect timing that would be. He'd step into the star's role almost seamlessly and while it's hard to imagine he'll be quite as effective, he'll no doubt still be a solid replacement for the time being.

Similarly to Skipp, using Bentancur in the role would prevent Levy from having to go out and, considering his track record in the past, we can only imagine how appealing that makes this option for him. Having a player of his ability already in the squad, it feels like a no-brainer that he'd be able to step in and provide cover for Bissouma while he's away at the African Cup of Nations. If they want to look elsewhere, though, we've come up with a few solid options that might be worth considering, and we'll go through them now.

Ruben Neves

After leaving the Premier League this summer to join Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League, rumours keep circulating about Ruben Neves potentially returning to England on a temporary basis in January and that could benefit Spurs tremendously. The two parties fit each other's needs perfectly and with the club only needing a Bissouma replacement for a short period of time, Neves joining on loan would be a smart move.

The former Wolverhampton Wanderers man has already proven he is more than capable of thriving in the Premier League, so the move would offer very little risk, but it also wouldn't force Spurs to spend too much money on a replacement, something we can only imagine would please Daniel Levy.

The move makes a tonne of sense, but it might not be too easy to get hold of Neves, with recent reports suggesting that there's a strong chance he doesn't return to England and instead remain in Saudi Arabia throughout the offseason. Still, if there's even the smallest chance of landing a play of his calibre while Bissouma is away, it's worth the effort of trying.

Kalvin Phillips

Kalvin Phillips' move to Manchester City just hasn't quite gone to plan for the Englishman. He has barely received any playing time since leaving Leeds United for Pep Guardiola's side in 2022, and it's pretty apparent that the Cityzen's manager doesn't quite trust him to play consistently for his team.

As a result, it's already been reported that Phillips could look for a move away from the Etihad in January in an attempt to find regular playing time elsewhere. Playing consistently would only benefit his chances of playing in the Euros for England next summer, although his inactivity hasn't exactly hurt his international career so far.

With Spurs competing at the top of the Premier League right now, they'll want someone of high quality to come in and cover for Bissouma during his time at the African Cup of Nations and make no mistake about it, Phillips is still an elite defensive midfielder. Sure, he hasn't had the success that he'd have wanted at City, but given the chance, he's one of the most impressive midfielders in the Premier League, and he'd thrive in just about any setting other than the Etihad. He's also already been linked with a move to the club, so that helps.

Bryan Cristante

A midfielder that Tottenham have been linked to recently is AS Roma's Bryan Cristante. The Italian has been a key figure for the Serie A side so far this season and working under former Spurs boss Jose Mourinho has done wonders for his career. The 28-year-old is a defensive midfielder, like Bissouma and would do an excellent job filling in for him during his absence.

With two goals and two assists to his name so far this campaign, Cristante has demonstrated his ability to impact play on the offensive end as well as defensively, something Postecoglou would cherish and welcome with open arms. According to reports, Mourinho is reluctant to let a player like the Italian leave his club but would struggle to turn down any bids from Spurs if they came in with a healthy bid. They aren't the only club interested in Cristante, though, with Aston Villa also rumoured to be targeting the midfielder.

If Postecoglou acts quickly, though, there's no reason why he can't land his man and he'd be wise to get a deal over the line as soon as possible. There are other options out there for potential Bissouma replacements, but Cristante is certainly one of the strongest choices and letting him slip through your fingers and then having to watch him turn out for a direct Premier League rival would be a disaster.

There are plenty of names out there that Spurs could consider to fill the fairly sizeable hole that Bissouma is absolutely certain to leave in the team's midfield, but for our money, these are the five best and most realistic options for the job. No matter who they hand the task to, though, it's not going to be easy. The former Brighton man has been electric at Tottenham lately and there aren't many players in the world capable of doing what he can under Postecoglou. With injuries to Maddison and Van de Ven already threatening to derail Spurs' season, let's just hope the absence of Bissouma isn't the straw that breaks the camel's back and the club manage to find an adequate replacement for him. If they look at the names we've listed here, they stand a pretty good job of doing so anyway.