Moussa Sissoko once had his heart set on a move from Newcastle United to Arsenal, but a drawn-out transfer saga in the summer of 2016 ultimately saw him join Tottenham Hotspur instead.
The former France international was eager to leave Newcastle following their relegation from the Premier League. At 26, and fresh from helping France reach the Euro 2016 final, Sissoko felt he had reached a stage in his career where playing in the Championship no longer matched his ambitions. His priority was to remain in England while securing a move to a club competing in the Champions League.
Arsenal emerged as his preferred destination. Speaking during the Euros, Sissoko openly admitted his admiration for the Gunners, describing them as one of Europe’s elite sides and revealing they had been his boyhood club. He highlighted the influence of legendary French players such as Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Robert Pires and Sylvain Wiltord, making no secret of his desire to one day follow in their footsteps. However, despite the interest and public declarations, a move to the Emirates Stadium never materialised.
As the transfer window neared its conclusion, Tottenham entered the picture. Spurs reached a late agreement with Newcastle on deadline day, matching Everton’s £30 million bid to secure the midfielder’s signature. The deal brought an end to a turbulent summer for Sissoko and allowed him to fulfil his aim of playing European football, albeit with Arsenal’s fiercest north London rivals.
Reflecting on the move later in 2016, Sissoko admitted the prolonged uncertainty took its toll. He explained that talks had been ongoing for some time before everything was resolved in the final hours of the window, adding that the lack of a full pre-season made settling in more challenging, both physically and mentally.
His first season at Tottenham proved difficult, with limited starts and inconsistent performances. Despite that, Sissoko remained convinced he had made the correct decision. He later stated that his move was driven by Tottenham’s ambition, their desire to compete for major honours, and the opportunity to feature regularly in the Champions League.
Sissoko went on to spend five years at Spurs, gradually becoming an important figure in the squad. He notably started in the 2019 Champions League final, underlining his resurgence in north London. After leaving Tottenham, he had spells with Watford and Nantes, before recently joining Panathinaikos at the age of 36.
While his dream move to Arsenal never came to pass, Sissoko’s eventual switch to Tottenham marked a defining chapter in his career, closing the door on a difficult period at Newcastle and opening one that brought him sustained top-level European football.
