Tottenham Hotspur have had a fair few talents that have been underappreciated over the years, but none more so than central midfielder Mousa Dembélé.
The Belgian joined the Lilywhites in a £15m deal from Fulham back in the summer of 2012, with many supporters unaware of the quality he possessed prior to his switch to North London.
He racked up a total of 249 senior appearances during his seven-year spell at the club, arguably cementing himself as one of their best ever midfielders.
From dazzling runs with the ball at his feet to dominant physical displays out of possession, the talent cemented himself as a key player during his spell in the Premier League.
Since his move to Guangzhou City in 2019, the Lilywhites have massively lacked a player of his quality, with Thomas Frank unable to rely upon one player to be his own version of the Belgian.
Why Bentancur has struggled with Spurs in 2025/26
After Frank’s arrival in the summer, there was a huge question mark around what system the Dane would operate with at Spurs after utilising various formations at Brentford.
However, it appears as though the 52-year-old has settled on a three-man midfield in a 4-3-3 system, which has seen Joao Palhinha operate at the base, with two box-to-box players ahead of him.
Rodrigo Bentancur has been one of the most utilised players in such an area, as seen by his tally of 10 appearances out of a possible 11 in the Premier League to date.
However, the Uruguayan has struggled to impress in those outings, even being benched against Manchester United in the final game before the ongoing international break.
The 28-year-old’s underlying stats from the 2025/26 season showcase his struggles of late, which could see him drop down the pecking order further in the months ahead.
He has only created 0.6 chances per 90 this season, which ranks him in the bottom 25% of all players in the division - often struggling to make a huge impact when in possession.
Such a skillset is vital when playing with Palhinha at the heart of the side, with the Portuguese international known to break up the play and allow those around him to provide the creative spark.
However, out of possession, Bentancur has also struggled under Frank, only making 0.5 interceptions per 90, which also places him in the lower quarter of all midfielders in England’s top-flight.
The aforementioned figures highlight his all-round struggles in North London, which could certainly put his long-term future at the club in jeopardy - that’s despite penning a new deal earlier this campaign.
The Spurs star who’s already showing 'shades of Dembele'
Top-level midfielders in the modern game cost a small fortune, with numerous clubs in the Premier League often forking out mammoth sums to land world-class talents.
Four teams in England’s top-flight have spent £100m or more on a midfielder in the last five years, with Chelsea doing so on more than one occasion, with deals for Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernández.
However, Spurs are a club that unfortunately aren’t in a position to willingly fork out such funds in the market, with more of a focus being directed to younger prospects.
Dominic Solanke remains the club’s record addition at £65m back in the summer of 2024, with no midfielder in Frank’s current first-team squad being bought for over £55m.
The likes of Lucas Bergvall and Pape Sarr both cost a combined £22m, with both now managing to establish themselves as key first-team members in 2025/26.
However, the academy system is another avenue for clubs to go down, with the Lilywhites desperately needing to put faith in youngster Tyrese Hall in the years ahead.
The midfielder joined the club at the age of just eight, subsequently spending 12 years in the youth ranks, before making the move to join Notts County on loan in the summer.
Such a move came after the youngster registered six goals and seven assists in 28 U21 appearances in 2024/25, with such a move being his first taste of senior football.
However, whilst it may appear a daunting task to many, Hall has taken it all in his stride, as seen by his impressive numbers at Meadow Lane over the past few months.
The 20-year-old has already found the net on six occasions, with his latest strike proving to be the winner in the affair with Cheltenham Town at the beginning of the month.
Whilst he’s operated in a more advanced role with the Magpies, Hall has previously featured slightly deeper - even playing as a number eight for the Lilywhites in a post-season friendly back in 2024.
The youngster was brought on as a substitute in such a fixture and even impressed, with one of the commentators that day claiming he was showing “shades of Mousa Dembele”.
Such praise is huge given the levels produced by the Belgian during his own time in North London, with real hope that Hall can match such levels if given the opportunity.
At 20, he still has bags of time to reach his full potential, with his loan spell at Notts County undoubtedly helping him in his quest in the professional game.
However, Frank will need to keep a close eye on his progress and potentially hand him the opportunity to impress him in pre-season ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.