Tottenham’s Dembele looks set for Spurs exit with China possible destination

We’re all still depressed from watching that draw against Brighton today so I hate to compound on that misery with possible transfer rumors, but needs must. According to Jack Pitt-Brooke in the Independent, we could be seeing the last matches for Mousa Dembele in a Tottenham Hotspur kit.

According to the report, Dembele looks set to depart Spurs for a new opportunity in a different league this summer, with China one possible destination. There are also links between Moose and Italy, with Juventus prominently mentioned as well.

I think deep down we’ve known this might be something to worry about this summer. Moose is 31, and despite being hugely important to the way Tottenham play under Mauricio Pochettino, you can’t roll back time. He’s missed 13 games this season due to injury or rest, and while he doesn’t LOOK like he’s missing a step, he hasn’t always put in the same sort of dominating performances that we’ve come to expect from him. The Premier League is hugely demanding, and Moose might be ready to say that it’s time to get that last payday and retire somewhere a little less strenuous.

Dembele’s existing Spurs contract expires next season, and he’s already on record saying that he will not discuss a new deal until after this summer’s World Cup in Russia. And truth be told, if he does leave, China is probably the best case scenario for Tottenham. Spurs would probably get a decent fee for him, he’d be able to dominate midfields in a completely new league, and would also very likely make a huge amount of money in wages. A slightly slower league like Italy would also potentially make sense for an aging Dembele, though it would probably need to be one of the top teams in the league.

For Spurs, it would make finding a midfield replacement all the more important. Harry Winks COULD be that player, but he’s been dogged by injury. Spurs might look to the transfer window to find a suitable midfield replacement; Tottenham are already being linked with Barcelona’s Andre Gomes. (The same article also notes that Moussa Sissoko is set to stay at Tottenham, “after impressing Pochettino with his attitude this season,” and you can knock that one back like a vinegar chaser).

It’s important to note that this is, for now, just a rumor, but it’s a well-sourced one, and it’s something that I think we can all agree is probably plausible, if not completely believable. Now excuse me why I go cry every possible tear left in me into a pillow.