Tottenham Transfer News: Gylfi Sigurdsson Sale Discussed, Moussa Sissoko Rumours

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has lamented the club's decision to sell Gylfi Sigurdsson to Swansea City ahead of the meeting between the two teams on Saturday.

The 27-year-old spent two seasons at White Hart Lane after impressing on loan with the Welsh outfit in 2012. However, he struggled to get games regularly with Spurs and made his switch to the Liberty Stadium permanent in 2014.

Pochettino, appointed Tottenham manager in the same summer, has admitted that he would have loved to have worked with Sigurdsson, per Jake Polden of the Daily Mirror:

"

I think he is a perfect player for us. But, in that moment, it was the club's decision, his decision to move to Swansea and find another way.

Every time we've met him, he's shown his qualities, not just as a player, but as a man. All the people here talk about him very highly. It's a shame, but that's football. Sometimes you spread your weight. But you never know in football.

"

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It's easy to see how Sigurdsson would have fitted into this version of Tottenham. Pochettino loves technically gifted, versatile and hardworking footballers; the Swans man ticks all of those boxes.

Since rejoining the Welsh side, he's added more consistency in the final third to his game, too. These numbers from Squawka Football show just how important the Iceland international has become for Swansea since he rejoined the club on a permanent basis:

For all his qualities, it's easy to see why Sigurdsson decided to move on. Even if he were to return to Tottenham, given the options they have in attacking midfield positions, there's no way he would be guaranteed a starting spot.

The Swansea man seems content in south Wales, signing a new long-term contract in the summer, and is enjoying his football despite his team's struggles. They're currently down in 19th place in the Premier League table.

Spurs to Keep Faith in Moussa Sissoko

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Tottenham reportedly won't let Moussa Sissoko leave on loan in January despite his disappointing start to life at White Hart Lane.

According to Tom Collomosse of the Evening Standard, Inter Milan and Juventus are both keeping tabs on the player's situation, although Spurs do not want to see him exit as of yet.

Per the piece, Sissoko could eventually become Tottenham's record signing, although his displays for the club so far have done little to suggest he's worth the £30 million he could eventually cost. Pochettino outlined why he feels as though the 27-year-old is struggling for form.

"For a new player, it's not easy," he said, per Collomosse. "Sissoko is 27 and has different habits. That is not easy for anyone, especially when you remember he arrived from Newcastle on the final day of the window."

FourFourTwo's Seb Stafford-Bloor expected more from the France international in the early stages of his Tottenham career:

Sissoko was notoriously inconsistent during his time at Newcastle. At his best, he was a force of nature in midfield, able to barge defenders out of the way with ease when carrying the ball forward. There were hopes that a move to Spurs and the chance to work under someone like Pochettino would add some reliability to his game.

As of yet, that process has not come to fruition. Of course, any new player needs time to settle into new surroundings, and a team like Spurs play a brand of football that can be tough to attune to. Nevertheless, Sissoko must make huge improvements if he's to be considered value for money in the long run.