Beating Chelsea to land Kovacic would give Tottenham ideal Dembele replacement

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Mousa Dembele has struggled to regularly dominate matches over the past two seasons, but his reported plans to leave Tottenham in favour of the huge riches on offer in the Chinese Super League would still leave a major gap in Mauricio Pochettino’s midfield.

If and when the Belgian eventually departs north London, his manager will need to be on the lookout for a new deep-lying playmaker and he is reportedly an admirer of one who is currently plying his trade across the capital.

Sport Witness report that Spurs hold an interest in Chelsea loanee Mateo Kovacic, and that the Croatian World Cup finalist is looking increasingly likely to depart parent club Real Madrid on a permanent basis next summer.

If Daniel Levy can steal in ahead of Maurizio Sarri’s side – and much may depend on how successful the London rivals are in their bid to qualify for next season’s Champions League – it would be a coup for more than one reason.

Kovacic’s quality would make him an ideal for Dembele, all the while deflating a rival’s transfer plans in the process.

The Croatian pitching up in north London may also convince Pochettino that Daniel Levy is still capable of attracting talent of the right calibre to the club.

It could be quite the transfer battle and the first blow will be landed on the Premier League table come May.