Mousa Dembélé departs Spurs for Guangzhou R&F
Belgian midfielder Mousa Dembélé's time at Tottenham is up. He will be leaving England for Chinese club Guangzhou R and F on a three-year deal.
Mousa Dembélé has completed his move from Tottenham to Chinese Super League side Guangzhou R and F. Dembélé joins his new club on a three-year deal and Spurs are reportedly receiving £11million as part of the transfer.
Favourite with fans
The 31-year-old midfielder joined Tottenham in 2012 after two impressive seasons in the Premier League with Fulham, who successfully converted him from a forward. Although never prolific in terms of goals or assists at Spurs, Dembélé played an important role during his time in north London and was highly regarded by fans. His effortless dribbling and ability on the ball drew plenty of admirers and made him a fine option in midfield for Mauricio Pochettino, as well as Tim Sherwood and André Villas-Boas before the Argentinian.
Despite his ability and importance to both Fulham and Spurs, Dembélé's influence in English football was arguably not as great as it could have been, as he often struggled with injury problems. It has been reported that the Belgium international's reason for leaving comes down to not feeling physically up to playing in the Premier League any longer.
Dembélé seeking exit for a while
He had been linked with a move away for several weeks, with China becoming his most likely destination early on, following the lead of international team-mate Yannick Carrasco, who joined Dalian Yifang last year. Although the departure brings to a close a good period for Dembélé, he is happy to be leaving Tottenham on good terms.
"Now it feels like my family," he told Spurs' official website. "It's very special. The club always treated me fairly, [I have] always had a good experience. I go away with an unbelievable feeling and a certain love for the club. You always feel this, because you have a long period at a club, you have a lot of love for the club, but sometimes you separate in a bad way and I don't feel that way. Even the reaction I've had from supporters, everyone is very positive with me. They wished me a lot of luck, happiness. The club is part of my family now, 100 per cent."