Tottenham should have demanded Tielemans from Monaco as part of Nkoudou loan

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French winger Georges-Kevin N’Koudou left Tottenham during yesterday’s transfer deadline day to join Ligue 1 strugglers Monaco on loan, as reported by the BBC.

The former Marseille wideman has struggled to impress during his time in north London and has now got the opportunity to rediscover his form with a return to his native country.

He was not the only Premier League player to arrive at Monaco yesterday though, as Leicester outcast Adrien Silva also pitched up at the relegation-threatened club on loan, also reported by the BBC.

But the Foxes used that deal to secure an impressive coup in return, the temporary signing of promising Belgian international midfielder Youri Tielemans to bolster their engine room.

But Tottenham were in need of a central midfield player this month, following the departure (Guardian) of dynamic midfielder Mousa Dembele, who joined Guangzhou R&F.

And international team-mate would have been the ideal replacement. Dembele’s blend of characteristics is almost inimitable, but Tielemans comes close with his powerful dribbling, eye for a pass and confidence in possession.

Tielemans is a highly-rated young player with plenty of international experience and the loan exit of Nkoudou gave Spurs the ideal opportunity to agree a loan swap deal, just as Leicester did.

It feels as if Tottenham have missed a trick by not doing so, as a Dembele-shaped hole remains in their midfield – until the end of the season at the very least.