Mauricio Pochettino is uncertain over whether Moussa Dembele will remain with Tottenham beyond the January window, noting it is not just the club that has to make a decision about the player’s future.
Dembele is currently down to the final six months of his deal with Spurs and is free to sign a pre-contract for next season with clubs outside of England.
Tottenham could also elect to sell the 31-year-old Belgium international in January in order to receive some transfer fee, rather than losing him this summer for nothing.
Dembele has featured 10 times for Spurs in the Premier League this season, starting seven games, though he has missed time with an ankle injury.
The midfielder has also played in a pair of Champions League games, but has not managed a goal or assist in any competition for Spurs this season after featuring in four World Cup games with third-place finishers Belgium this past summer.
With Dembele reportedly subject of interest for clubs in Italy and China, and Pochettino conceded that no final call has made on the player’s future, likening it with the rumours over Christian Eriksen in that it is not just the club that has to make a call.
"No [a decision has not been made yet on his future],” Pochettino told football.london. “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 added when asked specifically about a January departure: "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."
Tottenham are next in action on Friday in the FA Cup against League Two side Tranmere Rovers.
Spurs then feature in the Carabao Cup semi-finals in their first leg against local rivals Chelsea next Tuesday, followed by a return to Premier League action at Wembley on January 13 against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s rejuvenated Manchester United.