Conte must seal last-gasp Spurs swoop for £16m "phenomenon" who's "better than Mbappe" - opinion

Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a shock move for Ousmane Dembele ahead of deadline day…

According to Daily Mail journalist Sami Mokbel, the north London outfit have been “offered” the chance to sign the out-of-contract Barcelona star this January transfer window with a little over 24 hours to go.

It’s believed that the French winger is indeed a player ‘on their radar’ as sporting director Fabio Paratici looks to lock up further deals to bolster Antonio Conte’s playing squad.

The 24-year-old dynamo is free to leave the Nou Camp this month after failing to agree on a contract extension and the Catalan giants are looking for a transfer fee in the region of £16m, some four-and-a-half years after costing a whopping £135.5m.

This would be an intriguing signing for Spurs and ultimately one they should not turn their nose up at, if given the opportunity, especially with Bryan Gil likely to depart on loan and Steven Bergwijn’s future up in the air, too.

Dembele has been hampered by persistent injury troubles during his time in Spain but whenever he has featured on the pitch, he has delivered. The former Dortmund sensation has directly contributed towards 54 goals from 129 appearances; a goal or assist every 139 minutes.

By comparison, Heung-min Son’s record for Spurs sits at one direct contribution every 110 minutes. Not too different.

Remarkably, the £27m-rated wide man has earned plenty of praise during his time at Barcelona, despite not playing too many minutes. His ex-teammate Lionel Messi dubbed him a “phenomenon“, whilst club president Joan Laporta once claimed “he is better than Mbappe.”

If both Gil and Bergwijn do leave before Monday night, then Conte will certainly need reinforcements in the role as he’ll be left