Mousa Dembele hints he may have to consider Tottenham Hotspur exit

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Mousa Dembele has hinted he could consider leaving the club at the end of the season given his lack of first team opportunities.

Dembele, who arrived at White Hart Lane from Fulham in 2012, has struggled for game time under head coach Mauricio Pochettino and has started only nine Premier League matches this season, completing 90 minutes in just two of those.

The Argentine coach has placed his faith in the youthful partnership of Nabil Bentaleb, 20, and Ryan Mason, 23, in midfield with the Belgian international seeing his chances restricted as a result.

And while the 27-year-old understands Pochettino's dilemma, he admits he may have to consider his options in the summer.

"Too much thinking can be detrimental to my game," Dembele was quoted as saying by The Times.

"But I admit that sometimes it is very disappointing. But it is not in me to see him [Pochettino]. It is not easy, Tottenham have a large group, with many good players.

"I played six good games after one bad match and I had lost my place. But that is football, right? I can only train hard and make sure I am mentally when I get my chance. At the end of the season we see it again."

Dembele is currently away on international duty along with Spurs teammates Jan Vertonghen and Nacer Chadli. Another member of the Belgium squad in Toby Alderweireld recently admitted he would be open to joining his countrymen at White Hart Lane next season.

Alderweireld, currently on loan at Southampton from La Liga champions Atlético Madrid, noted he would relish the chance to link up with his former Ajax teammate Vertonghen, but Dembele has hinted there may not be room for the versatile defender in the Spurs squad.

"I think [Toby] is a great player of course, but this is not my [issue] to talk about," Dembele told Sky Sports News. "We have good players at Tottenham too so it is difficult to see who fits in our team and who doesn't."