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.
Harry Winks
In our search to find a replacement for Mousa Dembéle, there have been some impressive names thrown about, players from all over Europe and within the premier league as well, however, the answer to Tottenham’s conundrum could have been hiding in their squad the whole time.
Harry Winks, the academy graduate, was irreplaceable in the Tottenham line up last season, and whenever he was out injured Tottenham suffered. Winks’s partnership with Moussa Sissoko, was preferred by manager Mauricio Pochettino in most games. Their combination of pace, power and precision bossed many a premier league midfield. Winks is amongst the best for distribution in the Premier League, averaging over 53 passes per game with just under 92% accuracy.
His defensive and attacking does need work. However, alongside a box-to-box midfielder such as Sissoko, the two work well as a pair, combining distribution with attacking penetration and defensive doggedness.
The main problem with trying to replace a player like Mousa Dembéle, is that the task is almost impossible. For Tottenham, Dembéle combined elite distribution with defensive bullishness and attacking build-up play. Dembéle was and is one of a kind, a talent that we may never see in the Premier League again.
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