DEMBELE EXIT A HUGE BLOW FOR SPURS

I GET why Tottenham have let Mousa Dembele leave for China. He turns 32 this summer and has missed a large chunk of the season through injury. But can any Spurs player honestly look around that dressing room and say their squad is stronger without him? Dembele’s departure reminds me of when Edu left Arsenal. He had to play second fiddle to Patrick Vieira and Gilberto Silva but when he got his chance, more often than not he made a difference. When such a player cannot hold down a regular place, it gives you confidence that your squad will win titles. Edu left in 2005, just before I returned to Arsenal as a coach. After losing such a high-calibre squad player, doubts crept in that we were not equipped to win the Premier League. In letting Dembele (below) go, Mauricio Pochettino is clearly confident Harry Winks is a good enough replacement. Winks now has to prove he is capable of running games on a consistent

basis.