Ajax close to Yves Bissouma agreement after major transfer breakthrough

Ajax are closing in on the signing of former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Yves Bissouma, with negotiations reportedly at an advanced stage.

Developments accelerated on Monday evening. De Telegraaf initially reported that Ajax had “good hope” of securing Bissouma, before ESPN claimed the Amsterdam club were now “almost” in agreement with the 30-year-old.

Algemeen Dagblad has also reported that negotiations with the free agent are at an advanced stage, suggesting Ajax are moving increasingly close to completing the deal.

The potential arrival of Bissouma would provide Ajax head coach Míchel Sánchez with a midfielder fitting a profile he wanted before the transfer window closed.

Ajax already strengthened their defensive midfield options with Sofyan Amrabat, but Míchel was also looking for a more versatile player capable of operating in several midfield positions.

Another important requirement was the ability to contribute during build-up from deeper areas.

Bissouma fits that description and his expected arrival would therefore allow technical director Jordi Cruijff to belatedly satisfy one of his manager’s remaining recruitment requests.

Ajax appeared to face significant competition for Bissouma earlier on Monday, with clubs from some of Europe’s major leagues also reportedly interested.

However, the Eredivisie side now appear to have moved ahead of their rivals.

Bissouma is available outside the regular transfer window because he is a free agent following his departure from Tottenham earlier this summer.

No final agreement has been officially announced yet, but multiple reports now indicate negotiations are approaching a successful conclusion.

Bissouma would bring considerable top-level experience to Ajax.

The Mali international spent the previous four seasons at Tottenham, making 111 competitive appearances for the north London club.

Before joining Spurs, he established himself in the Premier League with Brighton & Hove Albion after previously playing for Lille in France.

Bissouma has also collected 46 senior caps for Mali, giving Míchel another experienced option in what is becoming a significantly reshaped Ajax midfield.

His career in England was not without controversy, however, with Bissouma attracting negative headlines on several occasions over incidents involving nitrous oxide.

What began as optimism around a possible transfer has rapidly developed into reports of an agreement being close.

ESPN's claim that Ajax and Bissouma are almost in agreement, combined with the AD reporting advanced negotiations, suggests only the final stages remain before the midfielder can potentially become an Ajax player.

For Ajax, securing an experienced and versatile Premier League midfielder without paying a transfer fee could represent an important late addition to Míchel’s squad.

Ajax and Bissouma now appear to be working through the final stages of negotiations before a potential agreement can be completed.

As a free agent, the former Tottenham midfielder can join Ajax despite the regular transfer window being closed. The next step will be for the remaining contractual details to be finalised before the Amsterdam club can officially announce his arrival.

Should the deal be completed, attention will quickly turn to when Bissouma can join Míchel Sánchez’s squad and potentially make his Ajax debut.