They will struggle to replace him.
Mousa Dembele is likely to leave Tottenham Hotspur at the end of the season, according to Jack Pitt-Brooke, writing in The Independent. The Spurs midfielder has a year left on his current contract and has yet to agree on terms for a new deal.
The Mirror claims that Dembele wants to postpone transfer negotiations with Spurs until after the World Cup, at which point the club would be prepared to accept a transfer offer for him.
The Belgian midfielder is understood to be interested in a move to either China or Italy. He will be 31 in July, and his next contract is likely to be the last big deal of his career.
The Independent report claims that Dembele agreed with Spurs that he would decide at the end of the season if he felt fit enough to play for another season in the Premier League.
Dembele has played in 20 of a possible 33 Premier League matches this season and has struggled for fitness on occasion since joining Spurs from Fulham in 2012. However, he has been brilliant when on the pitch. Pochettino has said Dembele is a “genius” and rated him alongside Diego Maradona and Ronaldinho as the best footballers he has worked with.
He’s arguably the opposite of a flat-track bully and has produced his best form in the biggest games. Dembele was absolutely fantastic in the away leg of the Champions League tie with Juventus, making a midfield of World Cup winners and Serie A champions look like kids playing against their older brother.
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He also bossed games against Manchester United and Arsenal and is extremely difficult to stop when at his best. The Belgian’s mix of physical strength, brilliant close control, game intelligence and dribbling prowess has made him one of the best central midfielders in the Premier League over the past few seasons.
Few other midfielders can glide by opposition players and open up games the way he does, as well as carry out the dirty side of the game, excelling at winning the ball back. Dembele may have fitness issues and is closer to the end of his career than the start, but it would be a shame for Spurs to allow such a unique player to walk away.
It could be argued that he’d make a brilliant signing for any other top-six team, particularly Liverpool or Manchester United. Both clubs need to strengthen in midfield, and Dembele is arguably an upgrade on their current crop of midfielders, even if he only has another year or two left in the Premier League.
They would also be prepared to pay Dembele more than Spurs do, particularly United, thus eliminating the financial incentive to join a Chinese Super League club.
According to The Mirror, Tottenham are monitoring the availability of Andre Gomes from Barcelona and Atalanta midfielder Bryan Cristante should Dembele leave.
