Tottenham to rival Man United in pursuit of attacking Fulham ace

Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas remains keen to further rebuild his squad this summer, and is ready to battle with Manchester United for Moussa Dembele’s signature.

United have long-admired Dembele, who enjoyed a sparkling campaign for Fulham last year, but their bid for the midfielder was described as “very low” by his current club.

Now, Spurs may be set to step in and test the Cottagers’ resolve, in the knowledge that Dembele has just one year remaining on his current Fulham contract.

There is an option for a further year, which Fulham would love to activate, but they face a struggle to hold on to one of their prize assets beyond August.

Indeed, a £15m buy-out clause is believed to exist within Dembele’s current contract terms, and Spurs now appear ready to trigger that clause.

After finally sealing the permanent signing of Emmanuel Adebayor, Villas-Boas is keen to add further creativity to his side to compliment his attacking options.

As Luka Modric prepares to seal his move to Real Madrid too, a new playmaker-in-chief is required at White Hart Lane, and Dembele could suit the role perfectly.

Signing a long-term successor to Paul Scholes remains a priority for Sir Alex Ferguson meanwhile, and at just 25-years-old, Dembele’s age will appeal to the Scotsman.

Initially a forward when moving to England, Dembele has flourished in an advanced midfield role, seeing him attract the attention of such clubs as Spurs and United in the first place.

The former AZ Alkmaar midfielder is also thought to have been chased by Arsenal and Chelsea recently, but their respective signings indicate they have given up on the Belgian.

Therefore, Spurs and United would appear the only clubs still in the hunt for the crafty midfielder, and Dembele could soon have his pick of the clubs.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.