Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly set to open contract talks with influential midfielder Mousa Dembele.
Dembele continues to be a hugely important part of Mauricio Pochettino’s side, and The Sun reports that the Belgian is eyeing up a deal that would see his wages move towards the £100,000 a week mark.
While it may be a gamble to offer the former Fulham ace such terms when he will be 32 shortly after his current deal expires, Spurs would arguably be making a huge mistake if they did not hand Dembele an improved contract.
Every time, it seems, that his critics start to suggest that the midfielder is past his best, he produces a wonderful performance in the middle of the park that highlights just how vital he is to the balance of Spurs’ side.
And while it would be a risk given his problems with injuries, it would arguably prove a much greater risk to not get him tied down and allow him to find another club at the end of next season – or perhaps even leave this summer if Tottenham hope to secure a fee for him.
In today’s game, paying Dembele something close to £100,000 a week would not be an eye-watering move from Tottenham, even if he was playing more of a peripheral role by the time the fresh deal started to reach its conclusion.
Spurs would be making a worrying statement if they allowed one of their best players to leave because they were not willing to pay the kind of wages that you would imagine he could quite easily get elsewhere – even at this stage of his career.
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