Thursday 6 October 2016 13:19, UK
Moussa Sissoko has expressed frustration that his move from Newcastle to Tottenham was not completed earlier in the transfer window.
The France international looked set to join Everton on Deadline Day before signing for Spurs in a deal worth £30m.
The move was confirmed once the deadline had passed and Sissoko says the situation left him "mentally drained".
"I went on holiday and everyone knew that I wanted to leave Newcastle and go to a bigger club that was in the Champions League and at the top of the table," he told FIFA.com.
"I signed for Tottenham, thank God. I'd been in discussions with them for quite a while and everything was eventually sorted out in the final hours.
"I would have liked it to have gone through earlier. I managed to have a bit of a break, but it left me mentally drained.
"I would have liked to have started the season with the team because that makes it easier to settle in. Arriving at the end of the transfer window is not the same, though I got a really good welcome and everything went well."
While the midfielder is now challenging with Spurs towards the top of the Premier League, Newcastle are competing for promotion back into the top-flight following their relegation to the Sky Bet Championship.
Sissoko admits last season with the Magpies was "complicated" and accepts any criticism that has come his way.
"I had a complicated season with Newcastle, with relegation at the end," he said. "So the critics, I understand them. I would say that they motivate me and push me to give more.
"I've been on the receiving end of some pretty harsh comments in the past, but I've accepted them. It doesn't bother me.
"Everyone has the right to express their preferences for one player or another. That's football and that's life. The important thing for me is to have the confidence of my coach and my team-mates because we spend a lot of time together on and off the pitch."
