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Spurs’ Transfer Rumors: Fulham Manager, Slaviša Jokanović, Desperate to Keep Moussa Dembélé

By Alexander Balano

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What’s the latest Spurs’ Transfer Rumors? Let’s find out.

The first transfer rumor sees Fulham manager, Slaviša Jokanović, trying to keep Spurs target Moussa Dembélé from leaving this month. With a transfer embargo on the Cottagers and no way of strengthening thier club there’s a good reason why Dembélé won’t be sold. Next, Spurs are still interested in signing Javier Hernández who has said that he’s unsure if he will remain with Bayer Leverkusen next season.

And finally, Spurs are close to signing Toulouse striker Wissam Ben Yedder. Spurs had an €8 million bid rejected, but the French club only wants €10 million instead and to have the 25-year-old loaned back so that Toulouse can survive relegation in Ligue 1 this season. Although Toulouse would rather sell in the summer instead, they’re not opposed to selling their striker in the first place. These are the latest transfer rumors.

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According to Standard Sport Spurs have been in contact with French Dembélé ahead of last week’s talks that the Lilywhites want to secure the services of the 19-year-old striker. The only drawback for Spurs is the fact that Fulham is entitled to receive a substantial transfer fee as Moussa Dembélé is under the age of 24. That, and because domestic clubs have to abide by the current system in England whereas foreign clubs have to pay a nominal compensation fee instead.

With the Cottagers under a transfer embargo, they can’t sign anyone to help strengthen their side so it’s easy to see why the Serbian manager, Slaviša Jokanović, has no intention to sell players let alone his star striker and even club captain Ross McCormack.

“This is all speculation and I want them to stay,” Jokanović told reporters after Fulham’s 1-1 draw away to Huddersfield.

“We intend to use the loan market and we are looking to bring players in. It won’t be easy. We are under an embargo and can’t spend money but we need to try to strengthen.”

“This was the Fulham plan before I arrived and this is what we want to do.”

Exploring the loan market and looking to take one — or two if necessary — of Spurs’ players could be a way of signing Moussa Dembélé. That one player should be Nathan Oduwa, and while he has just returned to Spurs and isn’t a striker by any means. Currently Oduwa is a fringe player on Mauricio Pochettino’s first team just like Harry Winks is.

But if one player had to leave the club only on a loan deal, it makes sense to send the 19-year-old wide midfielder in Nathan Oduwa to Fulham who would be losing an attacking threat. There’s no way that Oduwa can replace Dembélé’s production this season, but sending in Harry Winks won’t be remotely close at all because Winks is a central midfielder, unless the Cottagers are fine with both on a half-season loan deal.

How about a sign-and-loan-back deal that Spurs did with Dele Alli?

After missing out on the Mexican international this past summer when Spurs were ready to pay £12 million to sign the out-of-favor striker at Manchester United, it was German side Bayer Leverkusen who became Javer Hernández’ choice in the end.

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To trade the Premier League and Man United for the Bundesliga and Bayer has seen the 27-year-old’s career take off to even newer heights as a starter rather than being known as a super-sub. But now, in either role, Chicharito has shown that he can still do what he’s asked of — score plenty of goals.

Since joining Bayer Leverkusen, the Mexican striker has scored 19 goals in 25 appearances in all competitions this season and recently netted a brace against Brazilian team Porto Alegre in a friendly match two days ago. Obviously he can’t stop scoring and because of this, teams are gaining more interest in trying to sign the 27-year-old when possible and Chicharito himself doesn’t know what his future holds at the moment.

“I do not know if I will play next season at Bayer,” Hernández said, published by Don Balon. “In this sport, it does not matter if you sign a contract for ten years or ten times to extend one year. In six months, everything new can be different,” he added.

Spurs have shown interest in Toulouse striker, Wissam Ben Yedder, and submitted an €8 million bid which was rejected. However, according to France Football, it was just €2 million short and that the French club would accept a €10 million (£7.6 million) transfer fee as they have no qualms of selling the 25-year-old. Toulouse would rather have it happen in the summer because they need all the help that they could get as they’re trying to stave off relegation in Ligue 1.

In order to possibly get this deal done, it seems that if Toulouse recoups €10 million from Spurs and gets the French striker back on a loan deal, who has scored seven goals in 18 appearances this season, it could be more than enough.

Next: THL: Nathan Oduwa Returns Early from Loan Spell

Right now, this is the closest that Spurs are to signing a strike partner for Harry Kane so now it’s up to Daniel Levy and Co. to see if this is the right deal to make. A Dele Alli-type of sign-and-loan-back transaction. At 25-years-old Wissam Ben Yedder offers experience and is approaching his prime — if he isn’t there already — and would be cheaper than Moussa Dembélé who is younger at 19 and has more potential but will harder to sign instead.

Tough choices have to be made at the striker position as Spurs won’t get another chance to upgrade this position in the transfer window until the summer. Or unless they promote from within instead like bringing in Shaq Coulthirst or Shayon Harrison.