Spurs in ongoing talks to sign £80m star

What Tottenham Hotspur would have done for Mousa Dembele in the middle of the park last season. What Spurs would have done for Harry Kane and Heung-min Son too.

It was a dready old season, one of the worst in their illustrious history. Three managers, no trophies and a 17th-placed finish.

Supporters do, at least, owe Roberto De Zerbi some thanks. No manager wanted to be the one to get the mighty Spurs relegated. It was a job that wasn’t particularly attractive just two months ago.

However, the Italian knew he could rescue them and indeed he did. Their 1-0 win over Everton on the final day secured their safety.

Since then, the message have very much been that this will not happen again. They are looking to spend big with Sandro Tonali a major name.

Spurs in talks to sign big-money star alongside Sandro Tonali

If Tottenham can seal a move for Tonali it would send shockwaves across the Premier League.

Spurs are usually the banter club of the division but they are not here to muck around anymore, they are here to compete with the big boys. Whether they are able to do that remains to be seen but if they can lure the Italian midfielder away from St James’ Park it would be the most impressive transfer in the club’s recent history.

After all, Spurs are very much the team Newcastle were looking to overtake in England’s top-flight when PIF first came in with their riches.

While the Toon have finished ahead of them in recent seasons, they may not do so if they sold Tonali.

The Lilywhites really are looking to make a splash this summer and the Italian is not the only midfielder on their radar. West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes is too.

Detailing the latest on their pursuit of the Portuguese, Fabrizio Romano took to YouTube channel to say: “According to my information, Tottenham are talking to the agent of the player, Jorge Mendes, and they are pushing in order to reach an agreement. But, still nothing guaranteed, still nothing closed.”

Romano continued: “There will be more conversations with Tottenham and with Manchester United. Do not forget, Man United are working very very hard on this one. They are working on club and player side.”

For a move to be completed, recent reports have suggested United hope to pay around £65m. West Ham, however, are seeking about £80m.

How Mateus Fernandes compares to Mousa Dembele

Well, it’s safe to say that Spurs would do a lot to have a prime Mousa Dembele in the engine room right now.

In his heyday, the Belgian was one of the best players in the Premier League. Kyle Walker once remarked that “Dembele was probably the best player I’ve ever seen play football” while Eric Dier simply called him a “freak of nature”, which is really rather apt.

What separated the midfielder from his peers were several qualities. Dembele was like an ox in the middle of the park. He had incredible strength and duel-winning ability.

Yet, he was also something of a graceful giant. This was a player with remarkable technique, with a dribbling ability that very few players could live with. One of his best campaigns was in 2015/16 where he was involved in four goals. He registered 2.9 successful dribbles per game and won 3.6 tackles per match. He could do it all.

Well, Fernandes may not be quite at that level just yet but he does have a similar set of qualities. Like Dembele, he is an elite ground eater.

No midfielder had a higher ratio of progressive carry distance to turnover per carry in the Premier League last season apart from the excellent Declan Rice.

In that regard, Dembele was elite. Once he got going with the ball at his feet very few were going to stop him from rampaging forward.

Fernandes is not quite as powerful as that but there are similarities in their ability to carry the ball through the lines and progress play.

Like the Belgian, he is a mean duel winner too. He made 3.07 tackles per 90 minutes in the top-flight last season, only fractionally behind Dembele in his prime while the 21-year-old also won 5.92 duels per 90.

Already one of the best players in his position in the league at a tender age, the future is incredibly bright for this young Portuguese midfielder. His potential looks immense.

Hailed as a “superstar” by football writer Joost van der Leij, could Spurs finally be getting their hands on the Dembele replacement they’ve been crying out for for years.