With all the talk centred around Toby Alderweireld and his reluctance to sign a new contract at Spurs, another key player with a similar issue has flown somewhat under the radar – Mousa Dembele.
The Belgian star is reportedly holding out for a pay rise that would see him earning £100,000 per week. However, looking at his statistics, Daniel Levy may be better served selling the midfielder for a profit. Mousa Dembele: Inconsistent Enigma.
After Juventus
After the first leg of the Champions League tie with Juventus, Mousa Dembele was outstanding. He had the media purring, referring to the Spurs midfielder as being World Class.
Performances were immense, winning over 90% of challenges, he looked the real deal. Since that game, however, Dembele hasn’t reproduced top form. If you look at his Premier League career overall, you suddenly see a player who hasn’t delivered often enough.
Mousa Dembele: Goal Drought
Dembele is allegedly a box to box footballer, however, his goal scoring record is abysmal.
In 232 Premier League appearances, he has managed to feature in only 12 goals. In the last 4 seasons, this one included, he has scored just 5 goals for Tottenham.
That simply isn’t good enough. The picture is much clearer when you look at the stats https://www.premierleague.com/players/4123/Mousa-Demb%C3%A9l%C3%A9/stats
Time to Cut Losses
It’s little wonder that Dembele has such a poor goalscoring record. His shooting accuracy of just 30% shows he doesn’t provide a cutting edge.
On Saturday, during the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United, Dembele showed the side of poorer side of his game. The polar opposite of what we saw in Turin.
He gave the ball away, robbed by Pogba easily on too many occasions. Also, he was arguably culpable for the first goal, trying a fancy flick instead of putting the ball out of play. He was caught dallying again for United’s second goal – the winner.
The idea of Dembele holding out for a better salary is lamentable. If he was to walk into Daniel Levy’s office right now, there’s likely to be audible laughter.
Failure to Earn His Spurs
Whilst Dembele undoubtedly has talent, statistics don’t lie. 5 goals in 4 seasons, and 12 assists in his Premier League career is far from ideal. To even think he is worthy of a pay rise is delusional.
Daniel Levy is as a tough negotiator. After Saturday’s performance Dembele has made it easier for his chairman. It’s likely his full potential will never be reached. Injury problems have been hampering him, and will continue to do so. Inconsistency has become his trademark.
For Daniel Levy, it’s a simple decision. Mousa Dembelele isn’t providing his club with enough, thus he is no longer deemed essential to the team.
