Moussa Sissoko has told L'Equipe that he wants Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino to have "better communication" with him as the France midfielder considers his future with the Premier League runners-up.
Sissoko arrived at White Hart Lane last summer in a club record €35 million deal, but made just eight Premier League starts last term as Pochettino largely relied on the core of players who had finished third in 2015-16 to push the club to a best-ever top-flight points haul.
Such has been his peripheral role in his club's campaign, Sissoko is thinking about leaving just 12 months into a five-year deal, but has not ruled out staying. His representative is to meet Pochettino this week, and Sissoko said he just wants some straight answers
"A frank discussion to know what they count on doing, how they envisage the future with me. From that, everything will be clearer in my head," the France international midfielder replied when asked what he hopes will come out of the talks.
"You're never sure of anything. What I want above all is for everything to be clear. If the coach isn't counting on me, that he thinks the players who are there are better, he should say it. The idea is to be set early to allow my agent to work well if I have to leave."
After starring at Newcastle and being France's best player in the Euro 2016 final, Sissoko had been expected to make a significant impact in north London. The substitutes' bench was where he found himself more often than not though, and he was even left out of the matchday squad for two matches in late November for disciplinary reasons.
"I would have liked there to have been better communication," Sissoko said. "I don't want to talk about that, but it wasn't because of my performances on the pitch. There was a misunderstanding between us, it got sorted out."
Everton, Juventus and Inter Milan have all been linked to Sissoko, who was a surprise inclusion in the France squad for next month's friendlies with Paraguay and England, as well as the 2018 World Cup qualifier in Sweden.
The midfielder admitted he would discuss his situation with national team coach Didier Deschamps, and hopes that if his position at Spurs is not likely to improve, the club will not stand in his way as he seeks regular first team football ahead of the 2018 World Cup.
"They know I'm 28, that I'm not a child and I have a World Cup to go and play. If I have to leave, I hope they won't cause a problem," Sissoko said.
"There is also a little bit of hope that things go better next year. Today, leaving or staying, nothing has really been decided. I'm also going to speak about it with the national team coach. He generally gives good advice. He knows me very well, his opinion is going to count."
The former Toulouse man added he could not rule out a return to his native country: "Even if everyone knows I prefer England, I have never closed the door to a league. We'll see if there are offers, but Ligue 1 is attractive. We saw that this year with PSG and Monaco, but also with teams like Nice, Lyon and Marseille. We're going to closely look at all this and make the best decision."