54% of French Supporters Want Tottenham Midfielder Moussa Sissoko to Be Part of World Cup Squad

More than half of France fans want Tottenham midfielder Moussa Sissoko to be included in this summer's World Cup squad, according to a poll by RMC Sport.

The former Newcastle man has struggled to establish himself in North London, starting 12 of his side's 26 Premier League games this season.

Sissoko has struggled for consistency and has not been part of most people's potential France squads.

But France fans clearly value what the 28-year-old could bring to Didier Deschamps side in Russia.

Much has been made of the quality at Deschamps' disposal - the likes of Paul Pogba, N'Golo Kante, Corentin Tolisso and Adrien Rabiot are all available - so Sissoko's inclusion would be somewhat surprising.

There were some other unexpected calls in the poll, including 46% of supporters backing the selection of Andre-Pierre Gignac, who now plays in Mexico.

Perhaps even more surprisingly, 55% want Crystal Palace defender Mamadou Sakho to be picked, while PSG left-back Layvin Kurzawa would not be a popular choice.

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Despite some bemusement over the apparent admiration of Sissoko, Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino has insisted that he is one of Tottenham's key players.

"We have to give credit to Moussa," he  said last month. "He is giving the team such balance that no one player can give.

"He gives a balance in transitions between defence and attack. Right now he is the only player that can give that. That is his biggest quality. The team needs that balance nowadays.

"For me he is one of the most important players of the season. At times the first impressions sticks and conditions what happens later."

Clearly there are many French fans in agreement.