Spurs could still seal late £50m move for Mousa Dembele 2.0

Tottenham Hotspur were quick out of the blocks in the transfer window this month, moving to alleviate Ange Postecoglou’s concerns regarding a lack of squad depth, impeding his progress and push for continental qualification.

The Premier League was not a happy place down the N17 last season, with Spurs trudging to an eighth-placed finish and missing out on this season’s European football entirely, these miserable fortunes convinced Harry Kane to complete a transfer to Bayern Munich as he searches for an elusive slice of silverware.

Postecoglou has masterminded a revival however and will hope the additions of Radu Dragusin and Timo Werner over the past few weeks provide the boost needed, though Tottenham still seek a midfielder and could now focus their full attention on a touted target.

Spurs January targets – midfielder

According to Football Insider, Tottenham are continuing to work on a ‘marquee’ deal for Chelsea star Conor Gallagher, who has been one of the most consistent performers in Mauricio Pochettino’s squad this term.

One source admitted that it’s a “complex deal”, but that there is hope within the Spurs transfer team that a deal can be struck this month, with the Blues demanding £50m for their homegrown talent.

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How Conor Gallagher compares to Mousa Dembele

As stated, it’s a tricky one. There’s enmity bubbling over any negotiations given the clubs’ rivalry and Pochettino is a huge admirer of the 23-year-old; it’s the Chelsea board that are eager to cash in and reinvest elsewhere.

But it would be well worth the effort, with Gallagher praised for his “monster” performances both in and out of possession by one analyst and cementing his place in the engine room this term.

As per Sofascore, he has supplied four assists across 20 appearances in the Premier League this season and has performed at an all-embracing level in midfield, completing 91% of his passes, averaging 1.4 key passes and interceptions, 2.7 tackles, 5.8 duels and 6.9 ball recoveries per game while succeeding with 77% of his dribbles.

He is composed, commanding and intelligent and would offer a myriad of qualities to take Tottenham’s team to the next level, also ranking among the top 11% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for touches in the attacking penalty area and the top 4% for blocks per 90, as per FBref.

With such a rounded skill set, technical expertise and an impressive leadership faculty, Gallagher could even be cast in bronze as Tottenham’s next version of Mousa Dembele, who is regarded as one of the finest midfielders of the modern age to have donned the Lilywhites shirt.

Clocking up 249 appearances for the club, erstwhile Belgium international Dembele was the unseen maestro in the middle, an industrious workman and an elegant operator, he welcomed every facet of the game in the centre of the park and even earned effusive praise from countryman Kevin De Bruyne, who declared him the “best in the world” at one stage.

When looking at their various attributes – the ability to combine hard-working defensive qualities with the know-how to weave magic with the ball – it’s clear to see that both players offer similar traits and spread their talent across every nook of the midfield game. Indeed, during his days with Spurs, the infamous Belgium completed 2.3 tackles and one interception per game, mightily close to Gallagher’s aforementioned tallies this term.

Dembele was an immense player and one who charged Spurs’ team during the best period of the club’s modern history, and Gallagher could be the missing piece of the puzzle to ensure that Postecoglou’s vision is realised, and this time, silverware is secured.