£30m ex-Newcastle United and Tottenham man set for shock transfer and reunion

Sissoko is currently a free agent having seen his contract at FC Nantes come to an end earlier this summer. The 34-year-old though could be set for a surprise return to English football with reports that he could make a return to Watford to feature under former teammate Tom Cleverley.

Cleverley was appointed as permanent Hornets boss in April after initially taking charge of the club on an interim basis following the departure of Valerian Ismael. Cleverley’s task as permanent Watford manager will now be to help them improve on their 15th place finish in the Championship last season.

According to reports from France, Sissoko, who made 133 appearances in all competitions for Newcastle United during his three-and-a-half years with the club, will undergo a medical ahead of a move to Watford in the coming days.  After moving to Tottenham Hotspur for £30m in 2016 following Newcastle’s relegation to the Championship, Sissoko would go on to help Spurs reach a Champions League final - although he may be most remembered for giving away a very early penalty during that match to help Liverpool on the way to victory.

Sissoko would spend five years in all at Spurs before moving to Watford in 2021. He would spend just one year there, however, before joining Ligue 1 side FC Nantes in the summer of 2022. Sissoko turns 35 in August and has been capped 71 times by the French national team.