I wanted to leave Newcastle for Arsenal – but joined Tottenham after transfer saga
Former Newcastle United star found himself in transfer saga after push to leave club
Former Newcastle United star once embroiled in transfer battle (Image: Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Former Newcastle United star Moussa Sissoko saw his dream of joining Arsenal fail to materialize in 2016. The France international finally sealed a £30million move to the Gunners’ bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur in north London on the final day of the window.
Sissoko had featured in the Newcastle team that suffered high-profile relegation, although the then 26-year-old had no desire to play for the club in the second division. After helping France reach the Euro 2016 final, the midfielder harbored ambitions of joining a Champions League team.
A last minute agreement was then reached between Spurs and Newcastle, who face each other on Tuesday. It allowed Sissoko to realize his European football ambitions with fiercest rivals Arsenal ending his summer transfer saga.
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The former Newcastle man had been clear about his intentions while traveling with his country in the build-up to the Euros. In an interview with Foot Mercato, he said: “It’s flattering that a coach like (Benitez), a great coach, wants to keep me. But I think he is aware of it. I have reached a level where playing in the Championship would be difficult for me.”
He continued: “I want to leave. I would like to continue my career in England, at a club that plays in the Champions League.”
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Asked about a possible move to the Gunners, Sissoko added: “It’s very flattering. Arsenal are one of the best teams in Europe. Being watched by this kind of club proves that you are a quality player.
“Everyone knows, I often said it when I was young, Arsenal is the club of my heart, because there were quite a few French players there like Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, Sylvain Wiltord, Patrick Vieira, who was my idol.
“The beautiful Arsenal. We’ll see. I can’t tell you if I’m going to go to Arsenal. For the moment, I’m focusing on the France team and the Euro.”
Despite declaring his ideal club, Arsenal did not complete a transfer for Sissoko. Instead, Spurs emerged victorious in a transfer battle with Everton after agreeing to match their £30million bid on deadline day.
“I went on vacation and everyone knew I wanted to leave Newcastle to join a bigger club, play in the Champions League and compete for titles,” Sissoko revealed to the official FIFA website in October 2016. “Thank God I signed for Tottenham. There were discussions that started long before and it all happened in the last few hours.
“I would have liked it to happen faster. I was able to rest a little more, but psychologically, it exhausted me a little. I like doing a pre-season with the team because it’s easier to resolve. Arriving at the end of the window, it’s not the same, even if I was lucky to be well received and everything went well.”
Sissoko, who had spent three-and-a-half years on Tyneside, endured a difficult first campaign at Tottenham, starting in just eight of his 25 Premier League outings. However, a year later, he remains adamant that he made the right choice.
Speaking to Yahoo Sport in October 2017, he said: “I said it in the newspaper when I signed, I came to Tottenham because, although I respect Newcastle, for me Tottenham are better than Newcastle and they are trying to win the league title and you have a chance to play in the Champions League. That’s what I wanted.”
Sissoko’s stay at Spurs lasted five years and notably began in the 2019 Champions League final. The 36-year-old recently joined Panathinaikos after previous spells at Watford and a two-year spell at Nantes.