Mousa Dembele Likely to Stay for Another Season

Mousa Dembele has been linked with a number of clubs this summer as the Belgian midfielder enters the final year of his current contract. The 31-year-old hasn’t been a guaranteed starter over the last twelve months and is believed to be considering his options. Spurs fans will be hoping that the Antwerp-born star puts pen to paper at some point during the campaign but negotiations have yet to begin at the time of writing.

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Dembele has been heavily linked with a move to Serie A this summer with Inter particularly keen to add the Belgian to their star-studded squad. Luciano Spalletti was keen to sign the midfielder so he could team him up with fellow countryman Radja Nainggolan but the 31-year old has reportedly rejected the opportunity to move to the San Siro. The European transfer window remains open until the end of August and Inter may return with fresh terms, but it seems unlikely.

In April 2018, rumours emerged of a possible move to the Chinese Super League but no bids arrived and Dembele is believed to be keen to remain in Europe. Beijing Guoan were the side who were interested in his services but the midfielder rebuffed their approach.

Spurs paid £15 million for Dembele six years ago and he has become a firm favourite with supporters. A mixed campaign saw him make 24 appearances last season but he lost his place in the starting eleven to Victor Wanyama during the closing stages and struggled to make an impact from the bench. He began the new season with a 22-minute cameo against Newcastle which helped his side secure an opening-day victory on Tyneside.

Tottenham and Belgium midfielder Mousa Dembélé has turned down a move to Inter Milan. (Source: Sun) pic.twitter.com/5ESPEGXMMG

— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) August 5, 2018

Dembele is likely to honour his existing contract at the club which runs until June 2019 but Spurs supporters will not be keen on the idea of losing the Belgian on a free transfer during next summer’s window. It’s been a frustrating few months for the club, with Mauricio Pochettino failing to add to his squad despite being heavily linked to a number of players.

As a result, many pundits are tipping them to miss out on a top-four spot in the Premier League this time around and they are available at 1.82 on Betfair Exchange to finish in the Champions League positions and can also be backed at 22.00 to secure the title. The latter seems unlikely, especially given the dominance of last season’s champions and the odds on Man City to win league 2019 is 1.6 with Pep Guardiola’s side continuing where they left off courtesy of a 2-0 victory over Arsenal on the opening weekend.

Dembele could be crucial to Spur’s quest for a top four position this season and his vast experience certainly helps some of the younger members of the squad. He may not be a guaranteed starter anymore but he can still play an important role this season. Tottenham fans have plenty of time for the midfielder and very few of them will want to see him leave North London on a free transfer next summer. He appears determined to fight for his place in the team and clearly enjoys working with the coaching staff but this campaign looks likely to be his last at White Hart Lane.