OPINION
Tottenham might be some way from sealing the signing of Jack Grealish after Steve Bruce went public for the first time with details of their pursuit on Friday.
But confirmation Spurs are pushing so hard to land the Aston Villa playmaker before the transfer window cut-off is proof that Moussa Sissoko’s future in a lilywhite shirt has never looked bleaker.
Sissoko is of use to Mauricio Pochettino because he can carry the ball forward from midfield into the final third and launch attacks, something few of his teammates are capable of.
The problem, as Spurs fans know all to well, is that the France international’s end product is so pitiful.
When driving forward with the ball, he cuts a commanding and powerful figure, using his pace and presence to eat up distance and pull opponents out of the game.
But the summer-2016 signing is on the fringes of the Spurs team because he doesn’t deliver the goods and offers poor value for a £30million fee and wages that stats site Spotrac report are worth £80,000-a-week.
By contrast, Grealish’s star is on the rise after his dazzling performances for Villa in the final months of last season, albeit in the Championship.
He has caught Pochettino’e eye because of his technical ability, ball-carrying magic and vast potential to improve at the age of 22.
“At the moment, Spurs haven’t got anywhere near what the owners want to even consider, so there’s not a discussion to be had,” Bruce told a news conference on Friday, as quoted by ESPN FC.
“I don’t think we’ve had a formal bid. The one thing that the owners have made pretty clear is no one is for sale. We don’t want to lose our best players.”
Should Grealish be signed, as is certainly likely despite Bruce’s comments, he would instantly be in first-team contention, for an attacking midfield and possibly even central midfield slot.
This would push Sissoko down the pecking order and could persuade the Frenchman to seek a late-window move.