Mourinho to give Ryan Sessegnon Tottenham first-team chance after rebuffing Barcelona and Celtic loan transfer interest
RYAN SESSEGNON will be given a shot in the Spurs side next season after Jose Mourinho reportedly rebuffed huge loan requests.
Barcelona and Celtic both came calling in search of a temporary move for the 20-year-old, according to The Athletic.
Sessegnon made a £25million switch from Fulham after they were relegated last summer but failed to have the desired impact in his first season at Tottenham.
The English youngster made just 12 first-team appearances after struggling with injury.
He saw the manager who signed him, Mauricio Pochettino, sacked and replaced with Mourinho in November.
Sessegnon is comfortable anywhere on the left-hand side and will be given more of a chance to shine in Mourinho’s starting XI in the upcoming campaign.
Spurs have had plenty of interest in a loan move for the highly-rated England Under-21 international.
Reports suggested he could be in line for a return to old club Fulham after Scott Parker’s side won promotion back to the Premier League in the Championship play-off final.
Sessegnon made his name at Craven Cottage after bursting on to the scene as a 16-year-old.
And his twin brother Steven still turns out for the West London side.
But the report states Spurs also fielded interest from European big-hitters AC Milan, Ajax and Bayer Leverkusen.
However, Spurs have got him on a strength and conditioning plan to try and bulk up and show he can excel under Mourinho this year.
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The club are not thought to be entertaining the thought of letting him leave.
And he made a flying start to preparations for the new campaign after notching Spurs’ first goal in pre-season today.
Sessegnon bagged a goal after just six minutes in a friendly match against League One Ipswich Town at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.