Have Tottenham found their long-term Dembele replacement in Diadie Samassekou?

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Tottenham Hotspur scouts recently saw Diadie Samassekou in action.

According to a recent report in Estadio Deportivo, Tottenham Hotspur scouts were present at the recent Europa League encounter between Salzburg and Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund.

The report mentioned several elite clubs who had representatives attending the game, all seemingly eyeing Salzburg trio Moanes Dabour, Valon Berisha and Diadie Samassekou.

Salzburg has been a good source for top talent in recent years, with Naby Keita and Sadio Mane each having a spell with the Austrian champions before making big-money moves to Liverpool.

And it looks like Salzburg could have another one or two in their ranks right now as they eliminated Dortmund 2-1 on aggregate, with holding midfielder Samassekou the standout over the two legs.

Spurs are currently covered in the holding midfield area as Eric Dier, Victor Wanyama, Harry Winks and Mousa Dembele can play there, but the latter is by far their best player – and he is pushing 31.

Tottenham may have to look at a like-for-like long-term replacement as early as this summer, and who better than 22-year-old Samassekou who just confirmed his excellent talent in-front of Spurs onlookers.

The Mali international has averaged 4.4 tackles, 2.6 interceptions and 2.4 successful dribbles per Europa League game this season (Whoscored), ranks as one of the most efficient holding midfielders in the tournament.

His recent performances have certainly impressed Germany’s top clubs, as ESPN report that Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig are keen on his signature. And the asking price is said to be a mere £13 million.

Dembele isn’t just a great tackler for Spurs – he’s a midfield enforcer who can cover ground well, carry the ball forward and provide the perfect link between defence and attack.

Here’s what some of the fans have been saying on Twitter:

Observers who watched Salzburg’s aggregate defeat of Dortmund spoke of Samassekou in a similar light, as one football fan pointed out on Twitter how he absolutely bossed the German club’s midfield.

Considering his reported price-tag, Samassekou is certainly a gamble worth going for with his value likely to sky-rocket should he end up impressing in the Bundesliga.