Mousa Dembéle, ‘collective sigh’, universally agreed to be one of the most talented players to ever grace the Tottenham first eleven and arguably the most underrated midfielder in world football.
His transfer to Guangzhou R&F in the 2018/19 January window left an enormous hole in the Tottenham squad that is still to be filled. This summer, reports have come in thick and fast surrounding potential targets for multiple positions in the starting 11.
Described as both a tank and a ballerina (The Guardian), Mousa Dembéle has been a sorely missed member of the Tottenham camp, despite their success in 2018/19. With that in mind, we’ve looked at five potential replacements to attempt to recreate the magic of Moose.
Wilfred Ndidi
The only player on the list to yet be linked with Tottenham, Wilfred Ndidi has come along leaps and bounds since joining Leicester in 2017. The Nigerian was brought in to replace the irreplaceable Ngolo Kante as a defensive midfielder and has been impressive in his first two seasons with the Foxes.
At just 22 years of age, Ndidi is a midfield bull, with raw talent and a dogged nature. This doggedness had won him the most midfield possession in the premier league by January according to Konbini. In total Ndidi averaged an impressive 3.8 tackles a game with a whopping 2.3 interceptions a game in the premier league. That was more than Kante himself managed.
His attacking and distribution would need to improve however when passing Ndidi averages a comparably lowly 79% success rate. Valued at £31.5m (Transfermarkt), he isn’t exactly a value option, with some work to be put in before he reaches Dembéle’s level.
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