Image Credit: Evening Standard
By Lee Clow 17 January 2019 | Premier League
Mousa Dembele has left Tottenham Hotspur, after 6 and a half years, to join Chinese Super League side Guangzhou R&F for a fee of £11 million.
The Belgian midfielder was due to be out of contract for Tottenham in the summer, but he will now seal a move to China for £11 million, after international clearance.
Dembele, who has not played since November due to an ankle injury, travelled to China to seal a move to Beijing Guoan, but has instead moved to Guangzhou, who finished 10th in the Chinese Super League last year.
In an interview with SpursTV, Dembele said: "I've always had a good experience here. I go away with an unbelievable feeling and with a certain love for the club. The club is part of my family now." The 31-year-old continued: "Sometimes you separate in a bad way, but I don't feel it in a bad way. Everyone has been positive with me and has wished me luck and happiness...The club always treated me fairly.”
A large pay rise and playing in a less physical league are believed to be behind Dembele's decision to leave, while Tottenham have been trying to trim the squad.
Dembele joined Tottenham from Fulham in the summer of 2012 for £15 million. He has since made 250 appearances for the North London club, scoring 10 goals, including on his debut against Norwich. Tottenham fans have been huge admirers of the Belgian who had been dominating the middle of the park for almost 7 years.
Tottenham have lost one of the Premier League’s most underrated players, but with the money they have received, will they dip into the transfer market especially with the amount of injuries to the squad?
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