His teammates described him both as a tank and a ballerina, and even if his influence never quite shone through in goals and assists, there was no doubting his impact in Tottenham Hotspur’s midfield: so, what happened to Mousa Dembele?What happened to Mousa Dembele at Tottenham?In the summer of 2012, Dembélé signed for Tottenham for £15 million from Premier League rivals Fulham. Over the next seven years, he went on to make 250 appearances for Spurs, scoring 10 goals.He was a powerhouse in the midfield, something that former Spurs boss, Martin Jol, had pushed him towards when at Fulham. Describing exactly what sort of a player he was became a challenge for many, with a Guardian article from 2018 running through how he was “not a typical playmaker, nor a holding midfielder or box-to-box player. He is not merely a Zola-esque technician or a pure Keane-esque tackler; he is all this combined and more”.Dembélé became a core part of Mauricio Pochettino‘s side that became a mainstay in the top four in the Premier League, with the Argentine having high praise for his midfielder.“I always say ‘Mousa, in my book you will be one of my genius players that I have been lucky to meet’. One was Maradona, the others Ronaldinho, Okocha and De la Pena – he was a genius too – and Mousa Dembélé.” Such was the regard that Pochettino held the midfielder in, he claimed that if they had been able to take him when he was 18 or 19, he would have become “one of the best players in the world”.Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty ImagesMousa Dembele played through the pain barrierIn the 2016/17 season, a recurring foot injury started to cut his playing time. He had surgery at the end of the season, but conceded he would never be 100% fit again. Moving forward, it required careful management to allow him to deal with the pain.“But I don’t think there are any footballers playing at 100 per cent, without anything wrong,” he said. “All my career I’ve played with things – this was too much, and that’s why I had to do something.”Still, even with the pain, he was once again being hailed for his performances. ‘Mousa Dembele is fast becoming the ultimate midfield controller’, read one headline. ‘How Mousa Dembele became the Premier League’s most complete midfielder’, read another.In early November of the 2018/19 season, though, he suffered ankle ligament damage, ruling him out for the rest of the year. The game in which it happened, versus Wolves, would end up being his last for Tottenham.Dembele swapped Tottenham for China before that Champions League finalIn the January 2019 transfer window, Tottenham agreed a deal with Guangzhou R&F for £11 million.Players joining the Chinese league from Europe had been accused of moving for the money. Dembélé admitted that was a factor, but also that there was more to it than that.“I told the players at Tottenham that in the last few years of my career I wanted to go to a different country. When China came I was happy because it’s a big challenge and I wanted to have a culture shock,” he explained.The more relaxed environment made it easier to play through the pain. The heat, though, plus being far away from family and friends, made life difficult.While China had initially offered him what he was looking for as a player, his priorities started to change as the world was grappling with the Covid-19 pandemic. To keep the league running, teams were confined to hotels. Kept in these bubbles, it left them apart from their families for extended periods.“I’m a family man,” he said upon retirement, having gone two and a half months away from his wife and children, nearly a year without seeing his parents, and two without seeing his sister. Dembele had intended to continue playing in China until the end of 2022, but the pandemic and uncertainty surrounding the club meant he ultimately remained in Belgium. His final competitive appearance had come in August 2021, with his retirement officially taking effect on 1 January 2023. So, what has happened to Mousa Dembele since then?Mousa Dembele’s life after footballStarting 2023, Dembele was a free man. His life as a footballer was over. He had decided enough was enough and currently lives in Lisbon.He admits he doesn’t even watch football all that match, apart from his son Maleec, who is part of Sporting Lisbon’s academy set-up. His focus has been on property investments, while also admitting he may look at how to use his own experiences to help young players develop one day.He’s not interested in being a coach or agent, though. That day-to-day connection to the footballing world appears to be a thing of the past for the Belgian.Still, he did venture back onto the football pitch for an outing in the Baller League, playing alongside the likes of John Arne Riise and Mario Balotelli, once again showing all the attributes that made him such a joy to watch in the Premier League for Tottenham Hotspur.A footballer many professionals called the most technically gifted footballer in their prime, Mousa Dembele came back one last time… pic.twitter.com/KAp3MqBuAZ— george (@StokeyyG2) June 13, 2025Reflecting on his time as a player and the skillset he brought, he said, “It’s simple. When I stepped onto the pitch, I would look at my opponent and tell myself: ‘First, you’re not going to dribble past me; second, you’re not going to take the ball away from me.” But some things go beyond just mindset. “On the other hand, my own dribbling was entirely instinctive. I came to a simple conclusion: on the pitch, whenever you try to plan something, it usually falls apart. You see this sometimes with young players who lack spontaneity in their movements—you can easily tell when they’re about to pull off a cut or a step-over. What I tried to maintain throughout my career was that very sense of improvisation.”READ MORE: Opinion: Mousa Dembele – One of Tottenham’s most underrated ballers of all timeThe post What happened to Mousa Dembele after leaving Tottenham Hotspur? appeared first on Spurs Web.