As we slowly creep towards the January transfer window, the speculation surrounding Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembélé’s future grows more and more intriguing.
The World Cup winner has not hidden his dissatisfaction with his role with the Spanish giants this season, and has been linked with a move to the Premier League, with Arsenal and Liverpool becoming the frontrunners to sign him.
Despite the player’s apparent unhappiness, the thing that will please a lot of fans is that he is still in remarkably good form this season for the Catalan club. The 21-year-old has already bagged five league goals this season, but that hasn’t been enough to keep him enthused.
With a move beckoning, this is the chance for Tottenham to make a swoop and sign the player ahead of their rivals, and these are the reasons why:
Signal of intent
After Spurs iconic summer, whereby they failed to make a single signing, fans, and indeed manager Mauricio Pochettino, are champing at the bit to make some signings in January. The club are already linked with a number of high-profile names, but the signature of Dembélé would be the marquee signing that suddenly strengthens Tottenham’s squad and shows that their ambition matches the likes of Man City and Liverpool. Chairman Daniel Levy will be aware of this, and will surely want to appease his manager. It may come at a price, but it could well be worth it.
Power shift
If Tottenham can land such a big name ahead of their fiercest rival Arsenal, it would be a huge sign of the shift in power in north London. Traditionally, Arsenal have had the finances and reputation to attract some of the biggest names in Europe. In recent years, Tottenham have clearly marked themselves as the better team in north London, the signing of Dembélé would be definitive proof of this.
Style
As Tottenham forward Lucas Moura has proven this season, Spurs have needed a pacey dribbler over the past few years. The Brazilian has been a revelation this season, and has provided some creativity to Tottenham’s attack that hasn’t been there in recent seasons. However, the club do not want to be solely reliant on Moura to provide this spark. Dembélé is built in the same mould as former PSG man, and could add another dimension to The Lilywhite’s attack.
With Spurs expecting to move into their new stadium in the new year, the signing of a player like Dembélé could mark the beginning of a new era.
