Moussa Sissoko may have to leave Tottenham this summer, says Hugo Lloris

Tottenham captain Hugo Lloris believes teammate and mooted Everton target Moussa Sissoko may have to leave north London in order to further his career and says the former Newcastle United midfielder is currently facing a rather tough situation.

Sissoko, 28, joined Spurs from Newcastle last summer for around £30m but failed to establish himself as an important part of Mauricio Pochettino's side at White Hart Lane. The versatile midfielder started just eight Premier League matches last season and said earlier this summer that his first year with Spurs was the worst of his career.

Lloris, 30, recognises Sissoko's need to play more than he did last season but is unsure whether his teammate at club and international level will leave Tottenham this summer. Reports earlier this month suggested that Everton had submitted a loan offer for Sissoko, though Tottenham are looking to wash their hands of the France international. Wherever he ends up plying his trade, Lloris thinks Sissoko has a lot to prove.

"Moussa is important for the French national team," the Tottenham star told Sky Sports. "He needs to play, obviously, more than last season. But then it's a question of choices. It doesn't belong to me, it belongs to him and we will see what will happen.

"It's not an easy situation for him, for the team and for the manager. He's preparing himself to be ready for the next weeks. But you know, Moussa is strong in his mind.

"I've played with him for a while and I'm not really worried. It's true that last season was a bit frustrating for him and he's got a lot to prove, and then we'll see what will happen in this period."

Everton were interested in signing Sissoko last year but were pipped to the former Toulouse star's signature by Tottenham, who are yet to sign anyone this summer.

Despite seemingly maintaining some level of interest, Everton are not prioritising the prospective signing of Sissoko and are instead pursuing Swansea City playmaker Gylfi Sigurdsson, who is keen to swap the Liberty Stadium for Goodison Park, though the Welsh outfit's £50m valuation is proving difficult for the Toffees to overcome.