Out of favour Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Mousa Dembele has put Newcastle United on alert after revealing his dissatisfaction over his lack of first-team football at White Hart Lane. The Belgium international has fallen down the pecking order under manager Andre Villas-Boas, starting just two of Spurs's last five games, while he was brought off at half-time in the recent defeat to Newcastle. Speaking of his lack of playing time, the former Fulham man told Belgian newspaper Nieuwsblade recently:
"I can not be satisfied with it, of course, I just want to play as many games. "The coach explained that he makes a tactical choice, he wants more defensive players in midfield."
And, according to the Express, a number of Premier League sides are keen to take advantage of Dembele's situation, and may offer an escape route in the January window. One of whom are the Magpies, who are on the lookout for a replacement for unsettled French midfielder Yohan Cabaye, who has been linked with a move to Arsenal and Liverpool recently. However, Alan Pardew's side will have to do battle with domestic rivals Aston Villa, Southampton, Cardiff and Swansea for the 26-year-old's services, while Rafa Benitez's Napoli are also thought to be interested. Dembele is desperate to get more playing time if he is to factor into Belgium manager Marc Wilmots's World Cup plans next summer, and knows he faces stiff competition for a place in the final 23-man squad. The likes of Marouane Fellaini, Axel Witsel, Eden Hazard, Steven Defour, Kevin De Bruyne and current Spurs teammate Nacer Chadli are all fighting for midfield places in 2014. And a move to Newcastle, or another interested party, could revive his flagging tournament hopes.
Joseph is an accredited football journalist and has interviewed nearly all of the current 20 Barclay's Premier League managers. He is also a correspondent for Bleacher Report and has written for Caught Offside and Give Me Football.
