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Should Tottenham Sign Fulham’s Moussa Dembélé Still?

By Alexander Balano

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 20: Moussa Dembele of Fulham FC and Jorge Teixeira of Charlton FC during the Sky Bet Championship match between Fulham and Charlton Athletic at Craven Cottage on February 20, 2016 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 20: Moussa Dembele of Fulham FC and Jorge Teixeira of Charlton FC during the Sky Bet Championship match between Fulham and Charlton Athletic at Craven Cottage on February 20, 2016 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images) /
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This past January, Tottenham Hotspur were close to signing Fulham’s Moussa Dembélé before negotiations broke down which involved loaning the 19-year-old back to the Cottagers for the rest of the season if a deal was finalized.

One of the things that most people thought Mauricio Pochettino would do during the winter transfer window was sign a striker to help complement Harry Kane. It’s not that the Argentine manager was against the idea, but any player who was signed in January had to improve the squad, as Daniel Levy put it.

Related Story: Pochettino: New Spurs Contract Should Inspire Confidence

Back in February, Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust (THST) held a board-to-board meeting with Spurs’ chairman, Daniel Levy, and one of the topics discussed was about Tottenham not signing a striker.

“Daniel Levy also explained that transfer funds would be available should Mauricio Pochettino identify a player he felt could improve our squad,” read the minutes of February’s board-to-board meeting.

“Funds had been available in January. Mauricio Pochettino was not a manager who believed that by simply spending, the squad would be improved.”

“The decision to not sign a striker was Mauricio Pochettino’s, and although he would have perhaps liked a young striker, he will only sign a player of the quality that can make a difference.”

WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 13: Moussa Dembele of Fulham battles for the ball with Jack Price and Dominic Iorfa of Wolves during the FA Cup third round replay match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Fulham at Molineux on January 13, 2015 in Wolverhampton, England. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 13: Moussa Dembele of Fulham battles for the ball with Jack Price and Dominic Iorfa of Wolves during the FA Cup third round replay match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Fulham at Molineux on January 13, 2015 in Wolverhampton, England. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images) /

With Spurs pursuing Michy Batshuayi, Harry Kane has continued to show that he can carry Tottenham on his shoulders with his 25th league goal coming against Chelsea. But because Moussa Dembélé’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season, should Spurs try to sign him again?

Although Fulham manager, Slaviša Jokanović, has stated that the Under-20 French international is one his two best players on his squad, Dembélé was surprisingly left out of the starting lineup against Brentford on April 30 due to an uncertainty on where his future lies.

“Dembélé is one of my two best players. I [usually] prefer to use him all the time,” Jokanović said after a 3-0 defeat to Brentford (quotes via West London Sport).

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“But I am not sure if Dembélé is going to be my player next season. I didn’t see him so focused for this game and it’s my decision to try with more midfielders – try and be a little bit more solid.”

With the game getting out of hand, the Serbian manager tried to fix it by bringing on the 19-year-old to start the second half, but to no avail. Now, he has vowed to return to his normal formation and keep Moussa Dembélé in the starting lineup moving forward.

“I didn’t find the solution and I tried in the second half to fix this situation and play what we are now going to play always,” Slaviša Jokanović added.

Tottenham tabled a £5 million bid for the striker because Fulham wanted Dembélé to return if a deal had been finalized — which was close to happening as he completed a medical — but Spurs decided against it.

Next: Where Does Tottenham Turn After Dembélé Ban?

Now that the season is almost over and Michy Batshuayi is going to cost as much as Son Heung-Min (£22 million) or more, do Spurs want to spend big once again?

Mauricio Pochettino, Daniel Levy, Paul Mitchell and even John McDermott have all played a part in signing young talent at a fair price (read: cheap). It’s not that Tottenham can’t spend money, but their new philosophy is to sign players without breaking the bank.

What has worked in four transfer windows under Mauricio Pochettino’s watch, are cost-effective signings that can find a way to improve the squad. Like Dele Alli, Kevin Wimmer and Kieran Trippier. Whether they’re young players, or veterans, Tottenham will always try to get the most out of their money and it should continue.