Yves Bissouma to Aston Villa from Free agent (ex-Tottenham Hotspur)
Verdict Delivered
This rumor DIED. It was dropped from the board after going quiet, last rated 2%.
| Move | Free agent (ex-Tottenham Hotspur) → Villa |
| Outcome | Never happened |
| Rated at the end | 2% |
| Resolved | September 16th |
Bissouma has signed for Ajax. The club confirmed the free transfer on September 16th, a contract taking immediate effect and running to June 30th 2027, with Jordi Cruijff saying discussions had begun in August. Fabrizio Romano had reported the agreement in principle and the medical a day earlier, and Mike Verweij of De Telegraaf placed the midfielder in Amsterdam that morning. Villa never moved. Football Insider's Mick Brown and Callum O'Connell reported on September 8th that Bissouma had been offered around the Premier League as a free agent and that none of the clubs approached — Villa among them, with Chelsea and Crystal Palace — had progressed a move or put an offer on the table. The 30-year-old left Tottenham Hotspur this summer after 111 games in four seasons, having joined from Brighton for £30m in 2022.
How the Story Moved
| Date | What changed | |
|---|---|---|
| September 9th | Tracked | Rumor opened on the board at 22% (contact) — source: Football Insider (Mick Brown and Callum O'Connell), September 8th. Villa are among the Premier League clubs approached about signing Bissouma, and none of them has taken the matter further. Football Insider reported on September 8th that representatives working on the 30-year-old's future have contacted Villa, Crystal Palace, and Chelsea, but that no club has progressed a move or put an offer on the table. Chelsea, approached after Enzo Fernández joined Manchester City on deadline day, will only move if they suffer an injury crisis in midfield. Bissouma has been without a club since his Tottenham contract expired in June, and clubs in Italy, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia are monitoring him, though he would prefer to stay in England. Former Manchester United chief scout Mick Brown told the same outlet he is surprised nobody has moved, and called any signing a gamble because of the midfielder's fitness. |
| September 15th | Moved | Likelihood fell from 22% to 6% (cooling). Bissouma is joining Ajax. Fabrizio Romano reported on September 15th that Ajax had agreed a deal in principle for the Mali midfielder on a free transfer, a contract to June 2027 with an option for a further year, and that the medical was underway; Mike Verweij of De Telegraaf placed him in Amsterdam undergoing it the same morning. Villa never moved. Football Insider's Mick Brown and Callum O'Connell reported on September 8th that Bissouma had been offered around the Premier League as a free agent and that none of the clubs approached, Villa among them with Chelsea and Crystal Palace, had progressed a move or put an offer on the table. Ajax had passed on an earlier link in the summer before returning two weeks after the deadline. The 30-year-old left Tottenham Hotspur this summer after 111 games in four seasons, having joined from Brighton for £30m in 2022. |
| September 16th | Moved | Likelihood fell from 6% to 2% (off). Bissouma has signed for Ajax. The club confirmed the free transfer on September 16th, a contract taking immediate effect and running to June 30th 2027, with Jordi Cruijff saying discussions had begun in August. Fabrizio Romano had reported the agreement in principle and the medical a day earlier, and Mike Verweij of De Telegraaf placed the midfielder in Amsterdam that morning. Villa never moved. Football Insider's Mick Brown and Callum O'Connell reported on September 8th that Bissouma had been offered around the Premier League as a free agent and that none of the clubs approached — Villa among them, with Chelsea and Crystal Palace — had progressed a move or put an offer on the table. The 30-year-old left Tottenham Hotspur this summer after 111 games in four seasons, having joined from Brighton for £30m in 2022. |
| September 16th | Verdict | Rumor died — dropped from the board at 2% |
Timeline since the rumor joined the board.