Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino has given up all hope on Mousa Dembele signing a new contract and has asked the north London club’s directors to go after Steven N’Zonzi to replace him as per a report from Corriere dello Sport.
The news will come as a boost to Inter’s hopes of signing the midfielder but the Roman newspaper warn that just because Pochettino has given up on Dembele renewing, his €30 million price tag remains as that money is what will be used to fund the move for N’Zonzi.
The Chinese transfer window shuts in one week and after then Dembele’s price could well drop. There has been alleged interest in the Belgian midfielder’s services from China but Inter are the only club to have shown a really strong interest in buying him.
Sporting Lisbon’s William Carvalho remains the alternative to the 30-year-old but Inter now face competition from Real Betis who are understood to have tabled a €20 million offer for the Portuguese international.
