Tottenham are done negotiating with Mousa Dembele

Tottenham would like to extend Mousa Dembele’s stay in North London, but it’s clear to he club the midfielder has no interest in striking a deal.

Mousa Dembele has enjoyed a really good career at Tottenham, but his time at the club is quickly coming to a close. Despite the club’s best efforts, the Belgian midfielder will not be extending his stay in the Premier League.

Reports from England claim that a move to China or Italy is likely going to be in Dembele’s future. That really shouldn’t surprise Spurs fans who have been monitoring his situation. The player has made it very clear that he doesn’t believe his body will hold up to Mauricio Pochettino’s demanding training regimen. As such, he’s looking to get a big contract elsewhere in January.

In all honesty, the situation seems to have exhausted club officials. They’ve engaged Dembele’s representatives in talks about a new deal for the better part of the last calendar year. At times it’s seemed like he might entertain the idea, but his responses have been more and more negative as of late.

It’s now fair to wonder whether or not Tottenham might want to let him leave in January. He’s still a capable player, but his propensity to pick up injuries really decrease his value for Pochettino. At some point, Spurs may decide he’s not worth the roster space he takes up in a variety of competitions.

Of course, if he is going to be allowed to leave in January, Tottenham will need to purchase a quality replacement. Harry Winks, Eric Dier and Victor Wanyama do not give Pochettino enough options for his double-pivot. It’s really the one place in the squad where Spurs should contemplating spending large amounts of cash in the upcoming transfer window.

At the very least, Dembele’s level of motivation is something everyone associated with the club need to watch closely as the season marches on. He’s enjoyed a solid enough start to the campaign, but his attention might start to turn towards his future when the grind of the Premier League really starts to take its toll on the Tottenham squad.

It’s time for a changing of the guard in the Spurs midfield. Dembele’s been a fixture for quite a few years, but his time at Tottenham is near its end.