Few players have held as much importance under Mauricio Pochettino than Mousa Dembele. The Belgian midfielder was, for a long time, incredibly underrated, yet under Pochettino, he’s turned into a Europan giant.
Emerging as one of England’s most feared central midfielders, Dembele has controlled the midfield even when facing incredible players like Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic, and that tells you all you need to know about how important he is to this team.
The prospect of him departing the club, then, must surely be worrying Pochettino. He’s been a regular since he joined the club, and over time he’s only gotten more and more crucial. However, this is a reality that the Lilywhites must start to contend with – as the Belgian’s exit appears to be looming.
Without identifying a replacement, it would be foolish of the Lilywhites to sell him in January, whilst it would also be unwise to make a rash decision on a replacement without taking the proper time and care.
For that reason, it is tough to see Spurs selling Dembele in January just to save a few million, and so a summer departure, on the surface, looks more likely.
That means that Spurs have less than six months to identify a replacement, and perhaps more importantly, any replacements have less than sixth months to prove their worth.
That’s not only the case for those outside of north London, though. It’s also the case for those currently at Spurs – and Harry Winks should be hearing this news and licking his lips.
After all, he’s arguably an ideal option as Spurs look to replace Dembele. He’s got the same ball retention capabilities, whilst his passing range is also exquisite. He’s always been more of an offensive threat than Dembele, that’s true, but he’s also more than competitive with the Belgian on the defensive side of things, and that must be considered. Both players have that footballing brain that just can’t be taught. Almost magically, they can tell where the ball is going to go, and that helps them intercept deliveries or get their foot in.
It’s also worth noting that, at just 22-years-0ld, Winks is only getting better – and so his quality will only grow.
Winks, it must be said, is in a race against time. A solid end to the season could give Pochettino little choice but to give the Englishman a role in place of Dembele. At the highest level, teams cannot afford to wait for a young player to improve. They must take their chance and run with it, and that is what Winks must do. A poor year could see a big money signing made – and that could force him down the pecking order once more.
However, the ball is, at present, in Winks’ court. What’s it to be – sink, or swim?
Thoughts?
