Public criticism has emerged aimed at Son Heung-min (33)'s teammate Yves Bissouma (29, both from Tottenham). They may not be able to play together at Tottenham next season.

Tottenham lost 0-2 to Fulham in the 29th round of the 2024-2025 English Premier League (EPL) 'London Derby' away game held at Craven Cottage in London, England, on the 16th (Korea time).

With Tottenham recording three consecutive league games without a win (1 draw, 2 losses), they maintained 34 points (10 wins, 4 draws, 15 losses) and fell to 14th place. Manchester United, which defeated Leicester City 3-0, rose to 13th with 37 points.

Tottenham has been evaluated as having generally poor performance. Among these, Bissouma's struggles in the midfield have come under scrutiny. Although Bissouma started on this day, he was substituted for Berryval at halftime.

This has been pointed out not only by fans but also by the head coach and experts. Bissouma played through extra time in the FA Cup round of 64 against Tamworth on January 12, but has since been substituted during matches or remained on the bench.

Manager Ange Postecoglou, who has shown trust in Bissouma, noted, "He sometimes lets the game flow by itself," adding, "He needs to show more dominance when he has the ball. He seems to be distancing himself from the game," explaining the reason for Bissouma's substitution.

"He needed to do more in his position. Because Bissouma hasn’t been running much, we wanted him to run more," he said, adding, "This is when he needs to show his performance, but he seemed to lack confidence."

Alasdair Gold, a reporter for 'Football London' covering Tottenham, also criticized on social media (SNS), "Bissouma did not properly maintain possession of the ball during Tottenham's attacks. There were frustrating passes, too strong kicks, or plays that put his teammates under pressure."

Bissouma, a former member of the Mali national team, joined Tottenham in the summer of 2022 during Antonio Conte's tenure after stints at LOSC Lille and Brighton. The transfer fee at that time was £30 million (approximately 56.2 billion won). Bissouma quickly secured a starting position, and manager Postecoglou also placed trust in him.

However, Bissouma, whose contract expires next summer, has not performed well this season. He has scored 2 goals in 35 games total—including 2 goals in 22 league matches. Although he started in 14 league games, he has recently lost out to Lucas Berryval.

Bissouma also drew controversy last August for inhaling nitrous oxide (N₂O) from balloons labeled 'happy balloons.' Nitrous oxide is a prohibited hallucinogen in the UK. After the incident, he promptly deleted the posts of himself inhaling nitrous oxide from social media and apologized.

Bissouma's inconsistent performance could create a situation where his future is uncertain after this season. As Tottenham intends to overhaul its squad this summer, Bissouma has a high likelihood of being included in that list.

If so, Bissouma may deviate from manager Postecoglou's plans for the remaining period. If that happens, Tottenham is likely to move soon to acquire a replacement for Bissouma.

[OSEN]