What Tottenham Hotspur would do to Mousa Dembele in the middle of the park last season. That’s what Spurs would do to Harry Kane and Heung-min Son too.
It was a terrible old season, one of the worst in their glorious history. Three managers, no trophies and finished 17th.
The supporters, at least, owe Roberto De Zerbi a debt of gratitude. No manager wanted to be the one to make the mighty Spurs axed. It has been a particularly unattractive job for the past two months.
However, the Italian knew he could save them and indeed he did. Their 1-0 win over Everton on the final day secured their spot.
Since then, the message has gone viral that this will never happen again. They are looking to spend big with Sandro Tonali who is a big name.
Spurs are in talks to sign a big-money star alongside Sandro Tonali
If Tottenham can sign Tonali it will send shockwaves through the Premier League.
Spurs are often the banter club of this division but they are no longer here to play, they are here to compete with the big boys. Whether they can do that remains to be seen but if they can lure the Italian midfielder away from St James’ Park it would be one of the most impressive transfers in the club’s recent history.
After all, Spurs is the team that Newcastle was looking to beat in the top division in England when PIF first came in with its wealth.
Although Toon has finished ahead of them in previous seasons, they may not do so if they sell Tonali.
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The Lilywhites are certainly looking to make a splash this summer and the Italian isn’t the only midfielder on their radar. West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes is also there.
Explaining the latest in their pursuit of the Portuguese, Fabrizio Romano took to the YouTube channel and said: “According to my knowledge, Tottenham are talking to the player’s agent, Jorge Mendes, and they are pushing to reach an agreement. But, still nothing is confirmed, still nothing is closed.”
Romano continued: “There will be further talks with Tottenham and Manchester United. Don’t forget, Man United are working very hard on this. They are working on the side of the club and the players.”
To complete the move, recent reports have suggested that United are hoping to pay around £65m. West Ham, however, want around £80m.
How does Mateus Fernandes compare to Moussa Dembele
Well, it’s safe to say that Spurs could do a lot to have premiership player Mousa Dembele in the engine room right now.
On his birthday, the Belgian was one of the best players in the Premier League. Kyle Walker once remarked that “Dembele was probably the best player I’ve ever seen play football” while Eric Dier called him a “freak of nature”, which is quite fitting.
What separated the midfielder from his peers were a few qualities. Dembele was like a bull in the middle of the park. He had incredible strength and the ability to win a duel.
However, he was also a good bully. This was an incredibly talented player, with a playmaking ability that very few players could live up to. One of his best campaigns was in 2015/16 where he scored four goals. He registered 2.9 successful dribbles per game and won 3.6 tackles per game. He could do everything.
|
Dribbles per game: 2015/16 Premier League |
|
|---|---|
|
#1 Giannelli Reveals (Stoke) |
4.4 |
|
#2 Wilfried Zaha (Palace) |
3.7 |
|
#3 Riyad Mahrez (Leicester) |
3.5 |
|
#4 Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal) |
3.4 |
|
#5 Ross Barkley (Everton) |
3.1 |
|
#6 Bolasie, Eden Hazard, Moussa Dembele |
2.9 |
Well, Fernandes may not be at that level yet but he has a similar set of qualities. Like Dembele, he is a great eater.
No midfielder had a higher average continuous distance per conversion in the Premier League last season apart from the excellent Declan Rice.
In that, Dembele was at a high level. When he walked with the ball at his feet, very few would stop him from going forward.
Fernandes is not as strong but there is a similarity in their ability to handle the ball on the lines and in their developing play.
As a Belgian, he is a duel winner as well. He made 3.07 balls per 90 minutes in the top flight last season, slightly behind Dembele when he was 21 years old and won 5.92 duels per 90.
Already one of the best players in his position in the league at a young age, the future is incredibly bright for this young Portuguese player. His strength looks great.
Hailed as a “star” by football writer Joost van der Leij, it is possible that Spurs have finally found the position of Dembele that they have been crying for years.
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