Tottenham Target, Moussa Dembélé, Pondering Next Club

Tottenham Hotspur target, Fulham’s Moussa Dembélé, will have his contract expire this summer making him available by the start of the transfer window. With Spurs and Liverpool interested, the Frenchman is pondering which club to join ahead of next season.

On the heels of a productive season with Fulham in the Championship this past term, Dembélé’s stock has greatly risen after making 43 league appearances, scoring 15 goals and recording seven assists. As a team though, the Cottagers finished dead last in the second division and it’s a wonder if the France Under-20 international will stick around or leave for greener pastures.

With Dembélé’s contract set to end on June 30th, and Tottenham and Liverpool targeting the striker, there’s a good chance that he could succeed with either Mauricio Pochettino or Jürgen Klopp as his new manager.

But at the age of 19, the Frenchman wants to join a club where he can get regular playing time. Currently, there are plans for Pochettino to sign reinforcements at the center-forward position and lessen the burden on Harry Kane.

Though it remains to be seen if Moussa Dembélé is still a priority with Olympique Marseille’s Michy Batshuayi, Tottenham’s preferred target right now.

Therefore, Dembélé who was recently on a French football talk show called Telefoot After discussed his next move with former Chelsea player and 1998 World Cup winner with France, Frank Leboeuf.

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) /

“You are never 100 percent sure to make the right choice in terms of choosing the right club but that is part of the risk of the job; it’s football and you have to take risks,” Moussa Dembélé said (via Get West London).

“It is about progression for me and that will come with playing the maximum amount of games.”

Frank Leboeuf agreed with Moussa Dembélé’s thoughts on what to do next.

That the Fulham striker should join a club who will offer him plenty of playing time. If not, why would he sign with them if he’s not going to play regardless of higher wages and a prestigious club who will compete in Europe and be title contenders?

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“Money and status of a club are both important things,” Frank Leboeuf said. “But Dembélé is right in asking himself whether he will play or not.”

“He should be looking at his progression and how many players in his position are in the current team? If there are four attackers in the team what is the point of signing for that club?”

Not too long ago, Hotspur HQ’s Ryan Wrenn explored the possibility for two strikers to co-exist in Mauricio Pochettino’s starting XI that doesn’t involve changing the formation, by looking at it in a different perspective.

Should Tottenham sign a striker — anyone would suffice, but preferably someone who is capable of playing by himself — then Harry Kane could play in the number 10 role and act as the secondary striker. Something that he has done before whenever Roberto Soldado was subbed in during the 2014-15 campaign.

This will move Dele Alli around and it’s a matter of preference for Pochettino.

Should Alli drop deeper to play alongside Eric Dier at central midfield which is his natural position? Or should he shift over to left midfield and have Christian Eriksen start on the bench?

Next: Tottenham Rumored to be Eyeing Jonathan Ikoné

Whatever the case may be, there’s an opportunity to sign a promising and talented striker on a free transfer who is still young, while still going after Michy Batshuayi and/or Saido Berahino.

It’s unknown why Tottenham have seemingly lost contact with the Fulham striker since negotiations broke down this past winter that almost saw the Frenchman join.

But in any event, there’s nothing wrong with trying to sign Moussa Dembélé if he fits Mauricio Pochettino’s mold of a young player who is equally talented and can bolster his squad’s chances of competing in multiple fronts next season.