1 Nacir Chadli and Mousa Dembele could have left Tottenham in January

Tottenham duo Mousa Dembele and Nacer Chadli came close to joining Lokomotiv Moscow back in January, according to the club’s president.

Dembele has struggled to command a regular first-team place this season and has only started nine Premier League games.

Chadli has been a key part of Mauricio Pochettino’s side this season and has started the same number of league games as Harry Kane, so it would have been a major surprise if the Belgian forward would have been allowed to leave.

But that has not stopped other clubs from showing an interest in wanting to sign him and according to sport.ru, Lokomotiv Moscow president Olga Smorodskaya says a deal to sign the Tottenham duo almost materialised.

Smorodskaya said: “We considered Dembele, negotiated with him. We also talked with Chadli from Spurs.

“The second (with Chadli) practically agreed, I had mentally congratulated him (on becoming a Lokomotiv player). But it did not happen – at the last moment he changed his mind.”