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Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic has told GetWestLondon that he feels that he can persuade Tottenham Hotspur target Moussa Dembele to stay for one more year.
The 19-year-old striker nearly moved to White Hart Lane in the January transfer window, but the prospective move broke down at the last minute, according to GetWestLondon.
Dembele’s contract at Craven Cottage expires in June. It is unclear whether Tottenham will return for him, but there would nevertheless be suitors for a kid with his scoring record.
The Frenchman has forged a dangerous forward partnership with Ross McCormack this season, scoring 14 goals in the Championship to help the Cottagers steer clear of relegation.
But Jokanovic seems to be confident that he can convince Dembele to stay at Fulham for another season, where his development will be aided by the guarantee of regular football.
“I believe there is a possibility to get Moussa to stay,” he is quoted by GetWestLondon as saying.
“I know it’s his decision; his agent’s and his family around him. He’s a very clever guy; he’s very young, and 100 per cent he has a future in front of him.
“What Fulham can offer him can be the best way for him.
“He has a career which is 16 years more, and he has to make a choice as to how he travels these 16 years. He needs to be very clever and choose what’s best for him.”
“What’s best for him, is best for us too, and so he can play a season more in the club,” Jokanovic added. “Moussa is a Fulham boy and Fulham gave him many things.
“I’m not so sentimental about this. But he can decide to give us something and we will give him something back. It’s still better here for him here in the future.”
Should Tottenham indeed make a second swoop for Dembele, it would be foolish for the teenage striker to turn down the opportunity to work with Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino.
The Argentine has taken Tottenham to within touch of the Premier League title, all while giving young players such as Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Eric Dier prominent first-team roles.
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