Tottenham Fail in Bid for Lyon Striker Moussa Dembélé

Lyon rejected a bid from Tottenham Hotspur to take striker Moussa Dembélé on loan with a view to a permanent move.

José Mourinho has spent most of this summer looking for a striker to offer some cover for talisman Harry Kane, and Spurs eventually settled on Brazilian Carlos Vinícius, who joined from on a season-long loan from Benfica.

However, according to Get French Football News, they initially hoped to land Dembélé. Talks between the two sides were held early last week, with Spurs hopeful of getting a deal done thanks to help from agent Pini Zahavi, who is close with the club and also represents Dembélé.

The 24-year-old, who managed 24 goals in all competitions last season but is goalless in his first six games this year, was keen to make the move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and is said to have been annoyed when the deal fell through.

Once it became clear that Dembélé was off the table, Spurs reignited their interest in Vinícius, who comes with the option to be signed permanently for somewhere around the £40m mark.

Dembélé isn't the only player Spurs look to have missed out on. According to The Athletic's David Ornstein, talks were also held over a loan bid for Manchester City centre-back John Stones.

Spurs, who appear unlikely to land top defensive target Milan Škriniar, are believed to be unwilling to meet City's financial demands over Stones, which has seen them turn their attention to alternatives like Chelsea's Antonio Rüdiger.

Rüdiger has attracted interest from AC Milan, however, so Spurs may find themselves scrambling to find reinforcements before the transfer window shuts.

While talks over a potential new face will continue, it is understood that most of Spurs' attention is focused on shifting some of the unwanted squad players.

Ryan Sessegnon has already sealed a loan move to Bundesliga side Hoffenheim, while left-back Danny Rose is also expected to be moved on if a buyer can be found.

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