Mousa Dembele says he headed to China in January because he wanted to “see something different” after playing in Europe since 2004.
Dembele left Spurs for Chinese Super League side Guangzhou R&F in January after spending seven years at the club and making 242 appearances across all competitions.
Are Spurs missing Dembele? Five things to know…
- Dembele discovered his best role in central midfield under Mauricio Pochettino’s management.
- He suffered many injuries, and due to being unable to agree on a new contract, left for China.
- Some thought the transfer was a huge mistake, as the Belgian was widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in the premier League.
- Harry Winks was full of praise for Dembele and said he was one of the best players he’d ever played with.
- However, Winks has stepped into Dembele’s shoes this season and has played every minute in each of Spurs’ last eight Premier League games.
The Belgium international was mooted to be moving on from north London ever since the midfielder failed to sign an extension on his contract, which would’ve expired at the end of the season.
Elite clubs from around Europe, including Inter Milan, were interested in acquiring the Belgian’s services, but the 30-year-old opted for China instead.
When asked about why he decided to leave Spurs, he said: “I’m a social guy I think. I’m not too serious. I don’t like to be too serious. I think off the pitch I can have a laugh with everyone.
“I like to see myself as open-minded. That is one of the reasons I wanted to come to China. I wanted to see something different.
“I wanted to have a different experience in life. I heard already there is good food in Guangzhou. I will try this a lot. I think my family will enjoy it as well here.”
As well as broadening his horizons Dembele is likely to receive substantially more money than the £80,000 per week pay packet he received at Tottenham.
Guangzhou face Chongqing Lifan when the Chinese Super League returns in March.
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Losing Dembele was a big mistake – Jamie Redknapp
Spurs have not made a signing this season and allowing one of their best midfielders to leave the club has not gone down well with some.
Back in January, Jamie Redknapp said he didn’t understand why Spurs would give away such an important player:
“In a way, I have no sympathy for Spurs because you’ve just sold one of the best midfield players in the league. When you talk to the Tottenham players about Mousa Dembele, everybody says he is unbelievable,” Redknapp said.
“I just think it [selling Dembele] is a big mistake because you’ve got such a good player. If he goes for a free at the end of the season, that’s fair enough, but right now, you need bodies and when you’ve got someone as good as him”.
Spurs still remain in a good position in the league and are still fighting in the Champions League. However, many believe that the only thing holding Spurs back from major glory is the club’s unwillingness to invest in new players.
The post Dembele explains key reason behind Spurs exit appeared first on Squawka News.
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