Mousa Dembele headed to Juventus?

It hasn’t been a disappointing season for Tottenham, per se, but one would imagine Mauricio Pochettino must be a bit let down that his side haven’t accomplished more. Spurs (and the rest of England, for that matter) have been left in the dust in the Premier League by Manchester City, and Tottenham bowed out of the Champions League in the round of 16. Pochettino’s side were also ousted from the league cup in the fourth round, so the FA Cup is the only trophy that remains a possibility this season.

Spurs have been good about keeping their top talent in London in recent years, but might one influential playmaker have his sights set elsewhere? According to the Evening Standard, Italian giants Juventus have major interest in Tottenham midfielder Mousa Dembele. Dembele is in the final year of his contract with Spurs, so he could leave for free in the summer unless a new deal is struck.

The Belgian international, who is likely to be in Roberto Martinez’s side at the upcoming World Cup in Russia, has said that he has tabled talks of an extension with Spurs until after the World Cup ends. Juventus, who have also been keeping tabs on Liverpool out-of-contract midfielder Emre Can, are reportedly keen on swooping in for Dembele.

Dembele is now 30, so this may be his final opportunity to cash in on a big-money deal before he starts to see a decline in performance. There are various types of football bets you can find these days, but it’s still too soon to bank on this being Dembele’s final season with Tottenham.  The player’s public comments indicate he isn’t exactly dying to leave the North London club. When asked earlier this month about his upcoming summer, Dembele said, “At this moment, I am very happy at Tottenham. I do not lie when I say that. I do not think about a big transfer. I want to play at a World Cup and afterwards we’ll see.”

Dembele has drawn praise for his performance during the season’s second half from his manager. Pochettino recently called Dembele “genius” as Tottenham continues to battle with Liverpool to finish third in the league.

Dembele added that he is unaware of potential interest from other clubs. He added, “Really, I’m not aware of the interest of other clubs. And, besides, I told my agent to wait for the summer to tell me about any offers. For now, I’m only focusing on Tottenham. Maybe this is my last season. Or maybe I’ll sign a new deal. We’ll see.”

Dembele has been with Tottenham since 2012 when he came over from another London side, Fulham. Spurs triggered the £15 million release clause in the player’s contract, and he subsequently scored on his debut for Spurs in a 1-1 draw against Norwich City. The Belgian has bagged seven goals in his 167 appearances for the club. He’s also scored five times with 70 caps for Belgium.