Tottenham Hotspur could have signed Moussa Dembele for just £6m in 2016

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Tottenham Hotspur are said to be looking at Lyon striker Moussa Dembele. Mercato365 has reported that the French attacker was scouted by Spurs last week, along with Arsenal and Manchester United.

Tottenham, who have had dealings before with Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas, would certainly have to pay up to bring him in. As reported by L’Equipe, and relayed by The Sun, Dembele is likely to cost around £43 million this summer.

He only joined from Celtic last term and the French side are notoriously hard bargainers, so that fee sounds realistic.

Tottenham would, therefore, be expecting to pay around the same. That will undoubtedly out Daniel Levy off. Especially, as they could have signed him for much cheaper a few years ago. In fact, they nearly did.

As reported by The Guardian, a January 2016 deadline day move for the player collapsed. The youngster had just six months left on his Fulham contract at the time. Tottenham agreed a £6 million fee and a medical had been conducted.

However, Spurs would not allow him to return to Fulham on loan for the rest of the season. The negotiations ended bitterly, The Guardian reporting ‘acrimony and accusations of agreements being reneged upon.’

Dembele waited six months and joined Celtic at the expiry of his contract.

But if Tottenham had just allowed Fulham to keep him for six more months, they might not be in the position of looking at a £43 million outlay this summer.