Moussa Sissoko has been linked with an exit from Tottenham Hotspur this summer, just weeks after providing an update on his future...

What's the word?

According to Sky Sports Italia, Serie A outfit Napoli are expected to open negotiations with the North London outfit over a potential move for the French midfielder, who is currently with his national side for the European Championships.

It's thought that newly-appointed Napoli manager Luciano Spalletti wants a new central midfielder and as a result, the Italians are readying a bid for Sissoko.

Two weeks ago, the 31-year-old remained coy on his future at Spurs, telling Foot Mercato (via GFFN):

"Now, I am a person who does not close any doors. If a new challenge presents itself, we will see what I do. But today, I do not close any doors concerning my future, because as I said, it was a difficult year for me at the club. I also want to see what the club will decide."

Time to go

The Lilywhites will soon embark on a completely new era.

Fabio Paratici has been appointed as their first director of football since 2015, whilst ex-Roma boss Paulo Fonseca is expected to be announced as Jose Mourinho's successor some this week.

It's time for them to refresh things on the pitch too and the midfield veteran must sit atop the list of deadwood candidates that must be moved on.

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After 259 matches in the Premier League and over 200 appearances in a Spurs shirt, the 68-cap international has shown some signs of regression in the past 12 months or so.

Sissoko started only 15 times in the Premier League, his lowest since his debut campaign in 2016/17 but during his time in N17, he's flattered to deceive. WhoScored have not rated him better than a mediocre 6.75 in those five seasons since.

A lot of his career has been built on his dynamism, pace and power in the engine room but as he has gotten older and suffered more injuries, he has lost what made him that attractive £30m signing from Newcastle United.

For example, Sissoko averaged 1.4 dribbles per outing during the 2019/20 season. That halved to 0.7 during the last campaign. Similarly, the number of key passes provided dropped by 0.4 attempts per game, and he averaged fewer tackles per match too, via WhoScored.

He's only holding Spurs back now, as he often has done since that move. Sissoko has been widely regarded as a massive "flop".

Fonseca can call upon the likes of Dele Alli, Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso in midfield instead and Paratici must show no mercy and offload him because the club shouldn't stump up his reported £90k-per-week wages if he's not a regular player.

For context, he's currently earning more than starters Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (£65k-per-week) and Toby Alderweireld (£85k-per-week).

As The Athletic pointed out, Sissoke was often lauded as an "underrated" workhorse as well as being "big and powerful' but that's all in the past.

His performances at Spurs have not been good enough and he's held the club back. It's now time to move on from the ageing midfielder. Paratici has to be ruthless this summer.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Moura: Paratici must seal Spurs swoop for "dangerous" £31.5m-rated speed demon...