Tottenham earmark Valencia star as potential Dembele replacement

Tottenham have scouted Valencia midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia as a potential replacement for Mousa Dembele, claims Sky Sports.

On-going injury concerns means Dembele can no longer put together a run of games and Mauricio Pochettino wants to sign a long-term replacement in the summer.

Pochettino has already earmarked Kondogbia as a possible candidate following his breathtaking start to the campaign for Valencia.

Tottenham are long-term admirers of Kondogbia and were interested in his signature around the time he left Monaco to join Inter in 2015 for £30m.

Kondogbia struggled to make any sort of impact in Italy but has played an integral part in Valencia’s title challenge since joining on an initial season-long loan over the summer.

Marcelino’s side have already agreed terms with the Frenchman for when they trigger their option to buy at the end of the current campaign, which could complicate matters for Tottenham.

The 24-year-old has scored three goals in 12 league appearances this season, while only Daniel Parejo (45) has completed more tackles than Kondogbia (33) of all Valencia players.