Despite settling in nicely at Bournemouth, life isn’t all that rosy for Lys Mousset.
The youngster, who was bought for a lot of money considering he was playing in Ligue 2 and was only 19 at the time, has only played four times for Eddie Howe so far, and he might already be showing signs moving to the Dean Court is becoming a regret.
Mousset was a target for quite a few clubs in the Premier League over the summer, including Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham and Arsène Wenger’s Arsenal after scoring 14 goals in 28 Ligue 2 games for Le Havre last season.
Wenger has always kept a close eye on the French market and Pochettino has recruited from the country more than once for Tottenham, with the club regularly having scouts in attendance. Georges-Kevin N’Koudou arrived at Spurs in the summer from Marseille, with Clinton N’Njie, another recruit from France, going the other way on loan.
Mousset spoke to Paris Normandie in France over the weekend, and explained that the promises made to him when he first signed for Bournemouth side weren’t kept, as watching games from the stands wasn’t part of the plan.
Mousset prioritised Bournemouth over a move to White Hart Lane or the Emirates as he thought he would get more time on the pitch under Eddie Howe, who allegedly made false promises after a friendly appearance against AC Milan.
He said: “After that game, the manager told me I would play in the next league game. In the end, I wasn’t even in the group… Frankly, I feel like I’m a simple spectator. I can’t stay like this. I always dreamed of being in England, but not in these conditions.
“If I wanted to be third, fourth or fifth in line as a striker, I could have signed for Arsenal or Tottenham. It’s bizarre, but I feel like I’ve been left to one side, and it annoys me to think I might go a season without scoring. We’re going to have to find a solution.”
Explaining that a return to France could be on the cards this winter if an agreement can be found, the 20-year-old also made it clear he would like to remain in England if possible.
The chance of signing for Tottenham or Arsenal may well have passed Mousset by for now, and he’ll have to look elsewhere if he’s keen to leave Bournemouth.
