Mauricio Pochettino Talks Mousa Dembele Situation Amid Reported Chinese Interest

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino says the club has not made a decision on the future of midfielder Mousa Dembele and is unable to rule out a January departure for the Belgium international.

Dembele's contract in north London is due to expire at the end of the season, and Simon Jones of MailOnline reported Chinese Super League side Beijing Guoan are in talks to sign him this winter.

Pochettino spoke to the media on Friday and said he wasn't aware of a clause in Dembele's contract to extend his deal by one year, like those recently triggered to keep Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld at the club.

When asked if a decision has been made on whether to keep the veteran, he said no: "There is still no news. No news, again like Christian Eriksen—a different situation—it is not only in our hands. In that business, there are different parties that are involved. Then it is about to negotiate, to talk and see what the different parties want."

Pochettino was also asked specifically whether the player could leave before the end of January: "I don't know; that is going to be a club decision, of course, involved with the player and the people that are with him."

Belgian journalist Kristof Terreur provided more context on the interest from China:

Jones wrote that Dembele is among the players Spurs would be willing to sell this winter despite the fact that they failed to make any additions in the summer transfer window.

Also understood to be on that list are Victor Wanyama, Serge Aurier, Vincent Janssen, Fernando Llorente, Michel Vorm and Georges-Kevin N'Koudou, who spent the first half of the season on loan at Burnley.

Dembele is a more tempting asset after recently making his return to fitness following two months out with an ankle injury:

The midfielder is highly regarded at Tottenham but is set to turn 32 in July.

Jack Pitt-Brooke of The Independent reported in April that Chinese clubs were interested in Dembele, who is said to be open to leaving the physical rigours of the Premier League after eight years in England.

The former Fulham star has made 249 appearances for Spurs, and he has helped the club transform from perennial top-four contenders to genuine title challengers.

He isn't in contention to make his comeback in Friday's FA Cup third-round trip to Tranmere Rovers but will have a better chance of reaching that landmark against Chelsea in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final on Tuesday.