Tottenham: £25m star Conte rarely starts can become 'big player' at Hotspur Way | OneFootball

Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma can still become a “big player” at the club, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The 26-year-old has failed to make an impact in north London since arriving from Brighton during the summer transfer window and was criticised by Antonio Conte on Thursday as he struggles to adapt tactically, but O’Rourke thinks he can still come good.

Why has Bissouma not been playing for Tottenham?

Since moving to Hotspur Way in a £25m deal back in June, Bissouma has gone on to make just one start for Antonio Conte’s side.

At this moment in time, the Italian clearly favours a midfield duo of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur.

The former has not missed any of Spurs’ games so far this season, while the latter has featured in all but one fixture.

Ultimately, it looks like Bissouma has some work to do if he is to win a spot in Tottenham’s starting XI, with Conte revealing that he is struggling with the tactical aspect of things at his new club.

What has O’Rourke said about Bissouma and Tottenham?

While Bissouma is being overlooked now, O’Rourke thinks he has the quality needed to become an important player for Tottenham in the near future.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the journalist said: “Antonio Conte is sticking with his tried and trusted right now. But Bissouma I’m sure, like [Djed] Spence, once he gets that opportunity, he’ll be desperate to stay in the team as well, and he has got the quality to be a big player for Tottenham.”

Was Bissouma a good signing for Tottenham?

Bissouma may not be playing for Tottenham right now, but he still comes across as a solid acquisition and may just need to be a bit patient.

“This is an unbelievable coup for Spurs as Yves Bissouma could have played for any of the other top-six sides in the Premier League,” former Arsenal star Paul Merson told Sportskeeda.

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“He runs the show, affects football matches right from the get-go and is an all-round midfielder with quite a bit of Premier League experience under his belt,” the Sky Sports pundit later went on to add.

Over the last year, Bissouma has ranked in the 92nd percentile for interceptions, the 90th for blocks and the 92nd for clearances among his positional peers (via FBref), showing exactly what he can bring to Spurs in the middle of the park.

For now, though, it does not look like Bissouma will be able to showcase his defensive ability. It is a long season, however, so it would be a surprise if Conte, who has just signed the Mali international, decided to continue snubbing him.