Yves Bissouma, who transferred from Brighton to Tottenham for £25 million last month, has been freed of all charges related to alleged sexual assault.
Yves Bissouma, a new midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur, has been freed of the sexual assault charges that prompted his detention last year.
Police were summoned to a nightclub in Brighton early on October 6 and detained Bissouma and a guy in his 40s. Video captured Bissouma being escorted out the venue on the seashore while wearing handcuffs.
The 25-year-old joined Spurs in a £25 million transfer from Brighton last month, and Sussex Police has now announced he has been freed with no further action required.
To compete for Mali in the Africa Cup of Nations, Bissouma had to modify the terms of his release, and the charges are still under investigation.
A 40-year-old man from Brighton who was detained on suspicion of sexual assault has had his conditional release extended until July 4, 2022, a Sussex Police spokeswoman informed Sportsmail.
A 20-year-old Brighton resident who was detained on suspicion of sexual assault was later released without further action.
There is currently no new information available, and the inquiry is still underway.
When he joined Tottenham last month, Bissouma put an end to his four-year tenure at the Amex Stadium. After Spurs agreed to pay in the neighborhood of £25 million for his services, he signed a long-term contract through 2026.
In his first interview since signing, Bissouma told Tottenham’s official channels, “We’re going to work incredibly hard to keep the ambition high.”
“We have a strong team and a well-respected coach. I am confident that with him, I can complete this phase. I am confident that he will work harder to assist the team as well as me become the person I want to be. It will be fun to work with him.
Despite describing his pride at becoming a professional football player after spending his formative years playing on the streets of Ivory Coast, Bissouma continued.
I was born in my father’s village in Ivory Coast, Bissouma continued. “Football was my life when I was a child. I yearned to play football constantly, all the time. I’m not pleased if I don’t play football.
“When I go back to 11, 12, or even earlier, I get some feelings from playing professional football and being at Spurs, a major team. My parents gave me a lot of assistance. We don’t have the same chances in Africa as we do here, so it was incredibly difficult.
“For instance, when I was younger, my parents just worked to support us; but, if you wanted to play football, they couldn’t afford to purchase you a ball or sneakers. Without shoes, we merely played on the sidewalk with our buddies. But because I was still a child, my buddies and I appreciated this particular occasion.
“One aspect of my life is it. I was content. Imagine how far I’ve come—from Issia to Spurs, Champions League song. There is too much feeling.”