Fulham reject 10 million pound bid from Spurs for Dembele

[NorthernWhite]

It was rumoured they bid for him late in January. 10 million is a lot of cash but good to see we're not looking to sell our best players if true.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/tottenham-hotspur/8562389/Fulham-reject-Tottenham-Hotspurs-10-million-move-for-striker-Moussa-Dembele.html

Fulham have turned down a bid, thought to be worth £10 million, from Tottenham Hotspur for striker Moussa Dembélé.

The rejection of the bid predates the appointment of Martin Jol although, interestingly, Dembélé was the first player that the new manager mentioned when he spoke of his desire to work with the present squad.

"I know a lot about the squad I inherited," Jol said. "I enjoy watching players like Moussa Dembélé, who I have known for a while."

Tottenham failed in a deadline day bid for Dembélé in January and are understood to have substantially increased their offer for the 23-year-old Belgian international.

Dembélé has made a big impact, despite injury setbacks, on the Premier League since he arrived from the Dutch club AZ Alkmaar last summer for a fee believed to be just under £5 million.

Fulham snatched Dembélé from Birmingham City, who thought he was joining them.

Spurs are understood to have offered a straight cash deal for Dembélé with manager Harry Redknapp desperate to strengthen his striking options.

Given the good times that Robbie Keane had at Spurs under Jol it may well be that the club will try to tempt Fulham again with a player-plus-cash deal.

However, Fulham have shown little interest in Keane in the past — having been offered the 30-year-old striker previously – and Spurs' demand for a £6 million fee on top of the striker's £65,000-a-week wages will be prohibitive.

Spurs are closely tracking the Espanyol striker Pablo Osvaldo, who was also a target for Fulham when Mark Hughes was manager. However, the Spanish club's demands were thought to be too high for Fulham.

Spurs have also been strongly linked with the Brazilian striker Leandro Damiao, 21, who plays for Internacional, a club with whom there is an affiliation agreement, although it is thought an opening bid had been rejected. Midfielder Sandro arrived at Spurs from the Brazilian side.

At the same time Spurs, who want to sign midfielder Scott Parker from relegated West Ham, are hoping to sell the likes of Sébastien Bassong, Wilson Palacios, Alan Hutton and, above all, David Bentley while any of their strikers could be sold if the right replacement is found.

[ron]

He's going to be worth a lot more than that in the not too distant future. Innate skill and youth are a very expensive combination !

[clintclintdeuce]

maybe theyll counter for 20m.

[Brede Butter Pudding]

What's the likelihood we hold onto him? I'm really doubtful it has to be said... I genuinely don't think there are many players like him in the premier league, he really is unique. He has pace, huge strength, can use both feet, is only 23 and has this ability to turn players like very few players can. For such a big lad he has such a low centre of gravity, a bit like Modric and Messi, who can both turn on the spot and lose their markers so easily... Moussa's the same.

I think he could be crucial in our success next season, I just hope that Jol's appointment could persuade him to stay. Couple that with the fact that it's unlikely he'd get much playing time at Spurs...

I can but hope!

[Tom]

Great to hear were not selling!  082.gif

[Jack Fulham]

Hope we keep him, should only accept if a ridiculous offer comes in like £20 Million +. If he can stay injury free this season, he's gonna be awesome, will probably be better second season as he's had time to settle.

[nevzter]

Sipwell, thoughts?

[Mr Fulham]

His close friend El Hamdaoui (a close Jol-friend also) is available for just 3.5m pounds as he is very unhappy with the new manager and Ajax need money.

I say bring him in to keep Mousa.

[Brede Butter Pudding]

His close friend El Hamdaoui (a close Jol-friend also) is available for just 3.5m pounds as he is very unhappy with the new manager and Ajax need money.

I say bring him in to keep Mousa.

Keep us updated... I'd love to see us pull this one off.

[nevzter]

His close friend El Hamdaoui (a close Jol-friend also) is available for just 3.5m pounds as he is very unhappy with the new manager and Ajax need money.

I say bring him in to keep Mousa.

Not to be daft, but what position does he play?

[finnster01]

His close friend El Hamdaoui (a close Jol-friend also) is available for just 3.5m pounds as he is very unhappy with the new manager and Ajax need money.

I say bring him in to keep Mousa.

Not to be daft, but what position does he play?

With a name like that I doubt if he plays the Missionary position

[nevzter]

His close friend El Hamdaoui (a close Jol-friend also) is available for just 3.5m pounds as he is very unhappy with the new manager and Ajax need money.

I say bring him in to keep Mousa.

Not to be daft, but what position does he play?

With a name like that I doubt if he plays the Missionary position

:005:

[Mr Fulham]

His close friend El Hamdaoui (a close Jol-friend also) is available for just 3.5m pounds as he is very unhappy with the new manager and Ajax need money.

I say bring him in to keep Mousa.

Not to be daft, but what position does he play?

He's a striker.

[Airfix]

Sipwell, thoughts?

Sippy always told me that Dembéléis motivated more by getting playing time than money.  He knows that he has talent and will, one day, be up there in a glittering team in the Champions League etc but he wants, above all, to play regularly and sees too many young players miss out by being on the bench all the time.  At the moment, Fulham suits him.  As soon as we don't, he'll be off.

[MrCheviot]

Sipwell, thoughts?

Sippy always told me that Dembéléis motivated more by getting playing time than money.  He knows that he has talent and will, one day, be up there in a glittering team in the Champions League etc but he wants, above all, to play regularly and sees too many young players miss out by being on the bench all the time.  At the moment, Fulham suits him.  As soon as we don't, he'll be off.

What a great attitude, if true.

Seems to me that if FFC can be one part level-headed youngsters like Mousa, one part always aspiring chip-on-their-shoulder players like Clint, and one part veterans who have something to prove, we'll have ourselves a pretty decent recipe for EPL success.

[fulhampa23]

They saw his goal against them in the FA Cup won our goal of the season so they bid for him so they won't be embarrassed again.

I hope nothing becomes of this. Besides the money, there is nothing too appealing for him to leave now. Jol already knows him, and we are in the Europa League just as they are, not to mention we at least want to win it and not just play our youth players like Redknapp said he will.

[NorthernWhite]

El Hamdaoui is a Morrocan striker at Ajax who we were linked with in January. Has a decent strike record but very questionable attitude and can be lazy. I asked some Ajax supporting friends in January what they thought and they can't stand him over there and want to get rid as soon as possible. He refused to play some games for them after falling out with the new manager. I asked again yesterday what they thought and they still can't stand him.

Jol did get the best of him and the Dutch press were already speculating yesterday that we'd be interested due to the Jol connection.

For the 5 million Euro's the Dutch press were speculating, it could be good business but he's got a big ego and could unsettle things but can also find the net.

Dutch article below:-

http://www.voetbalkrant.com/nl/nieuws/lees/2011-06-07/el-hamdaoui-naar-fulham

Martin Jol has only recently proposed as coach of Fulham or the name of Mounir El Hamdaoui is also mentioned in the London club.

It's an open secret that Jol and El Hamdaoui get along well with the Moroccan and little more was at Jol. This was to allow him sour when Frank de Boer took over, because the attacker got into an outright feud with the new trainer.

El Hamdaoui, a five million euro. He is also in the interest of Trabzonspor, Tottenham and Sevilla.

[sipwell]

Sipwell, thoughts?

Sippy always told me that Dembéléis motivated more by getting playing time than money.  He knows that he has talent and will, one day, be up there in a glittering team in the Champions League etc but he wants, above all, to play regularly and sees too many young players miss out by being on the bench all the time.  At the moment, Fulham suits him.  As soon as we don't, he'll be off.

That is absolutely the case. In a recent interview with a Belgian magazine he told that he was unhappy with the number of goals he scored in his first year Prem and that he needs to work on that. He wants to take it step by step. He would not go to a team where he cannot be offered regular (i.e. weekly) football. He's a bit like Messi in that respect: it doesn't matter how much you earn, as long as you can kick the ball around in competitive games!

Re: El Hamdaoui. I have always rated him as a fabulous football player. He has been killed by the media and the A'dam public because he was very unhappy he couldn't play. You cannot blame him: he was the top goalscorer in the Netherlands for quite some time but Ajax foolishly paid a ridiculous amount of money for another (and less good) striker. He is the one who is starting so El Hamdaoui thinks he has not been given a fair chance. El Hamdaoui has a Suarez-like profile (very good in the box). If you would look up old threads you would see that I have pleaded to get him in Fulham. I am never mistaken, am I? :P

[Burt]

Hands off the mousse...

El Hamdaoui sounds interesting.

[NorthernWhite]

good stuff  Sipwell on El Hamdoui and working alongside Dembele could be excellent.it sounds like he's got the talent and there wasn't a problem when Jol was in charge. It sounds like 5 million Euro's could be a bargain then if Jol manages him well.

Maybe you could FFC's new Belgian and Dutch scout!