There’s no doubt that Mousa Dembélé was a physical presence on the pitch, but what won him the hearts of Spurs fans was his elegance and magnificence on the ball.
Dembélé arrived at White Hart Lane in 2012 and, shortly after, took the league by storm. Within four games, he had cemented his place as a starter, and went on to continue this run of form, ending the season with 28 starts (Fotmob).
Throughout his first season, Spurs saw glimmers of a special talent with the perfect attributes to dominate the central areas of any game. Despite only getting one goal contribution (Fotmob) Dembélé would cement himself in the starting lineup for the next season.
Spurs quickly realised that he didn’t have to get goals or assists to affect the game. His best work would be playing out of the press and marching Spurs up the pitch.
Dembélé would become Spurs’ unsung hero for the next couple of seasons. Dominating the middle of the park, slowly bringing spurs up the pitch and up the table.
When Mauricio Pochettino arrived in 2014/15, Dembélé played the least amount of games he ever had for Spurs – only starting in 10 games (Fotmob).
However, once Pochettino witnessed his excellence, he fell back into contention, starting 27 games in the 2015/16 season. Spurs would finish third that season, their highest finish since 1989/90 (TransferMarkt).
The Pochettino era marked the rise of Spurs, getting them back into title contention, and the youthful squad would play dazzling football. In the 2016/17 season, Harry Kane led the line, the Belgium wall secured the goal, and Dembélé commanded the midfield.
This squad played fantastic football, and Dembélé shined his brightest. When Spurs played United, he took on four players and came out the other side unscathed, creating an iconic photo that encapsulates the player he was.
(Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
When Kyle Walker was asked about that squad, he told (Sky Sports): “Mousa Dembélé, he was probably the best player I have seen play football.”
The high praise for Dembélé does not stop there, and when (GOAL) asked Kieran Trippier who the best player he has played with is, to no surprise he replied: “Mousa Dembélé when I was at Tottenham.”
Dembélé was a player like no other, he could create a spark from nothing. When he picked up the ball from the centre-backs, you knew something was going to happen.
You waited in anticipation of someone being embarrassed. His skill alone elevated him; once combined with his strength, he was unbeatable.
He had a unique balance, which went against his size and stature. He was lean and powerful, yet he went past defenders like a figure skater. In 2016/17, Spurs finished second in the Premier League, for the first time in over 50 years (Transfermarkt)
After that incredible season, Dembélé started to play less and less as injuries clouded his game. In the next three seasons, Dembélé would miss 29 games through a mixture of injuries (Transfermarkt).
His age had finally caught up to him, and in 2019, he left Spurs. He joined Guangzhou City in China for a reported fee of £11 million (Sky Sports).
Could Mousa Dembele have become a world-beater?
It’s a shame Spurs received Dembélé at 28, as he was plagued by injuries by the time he left in 2019. Pochettino claimed: “We always told him that if we had taken him at 18 or 19 years old, he would have become one of the best players in the world. I would have loved to have taken him on at 18.” (Sky Sports).
To describe Mousa Dembélé can’t simply be done with words, but a tank with the elegance of a ballerina is the closest we can get.
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