With Mousa Dembele expected to leave Tottenham, Mauricio Pochettino has a difficult decision to make on who to replace the Belgian with. Eric Dier is capable of operating in a holding role, but there’s no other alternative if Vincent Wanyama isn’t fit. Tottenham would greatly benefit from a defensive-midfielder who breaks up the play and protects the backline, so could Idrissa Gueye be the answer?
The Everton midfielder frequently tops the charts for most tackles and interceptions and is composed in possession. This season, the 29-year-old has averaged a tackle or interception every 13 minutes, in addition to making 15 clearances and averaging over 50 passes-per-game. Gueye also boasts a 91% dribble success rate, similar to what Mousa Dembele produced, so he may be an ideal replacement.
Everton paid over £7m to sign the midfielder from Aston Villa back in 2016, but he’s now valued at £20m. Given the Toffees extended his deal in February, they may request considerably more than said valuation. Gueye is a key player in the Everton squad and one they won’t want to sell without being suitably compensated. It’s unknown if he’s on Tottenham’s radar, however.
Crippy Cooke’s previous article
Tottenham won’t sign 23-year-old after club triggers contract extension – opinion