Tanguy Ndombele has emerged as a major target for Tottenham. There have been a number of reports, including one from the Daily Mail, that suggest that the Frenchman will be a priority for the Premier League club this summer. It isn’t a surprise that the Champions League finalists are looking to bring in a midfield player and the current Lyon star could be the perfect signing for them.
Although supporters will be getting excited about the speculation, they need to be cautious before believing too much. Ndombele has been linked to a number of clubs including Manchester United, PSG and Juventus. There will be a lot of competition to sign him and Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas thrives in this situation when it comes to selling one of his star players. It could be a long-drawn-out saga, which is likely to frustrate the frugal Daniel Levy.
It won’t be a straight-forward piece of business for the club, but it is one that they should persist with as Ndombele would immediately improve the first eleven. He has been one of the most impressive box-to-box midfielders in Europe since his breakthrough and he has gained plenty of experience at senior level. At the age of 22, he has become a first-team regular. This season alone, he has played 33 times in Ligue 1 and a further eight times in the Champions League.
During that period, he registered two goals and seven assists across the two competitions. Tottenham’s interest shouldn’t come as a surprise as Ndombele is very similar in style to Mousa Dembele who thrived under Mauricio Pochettino. It would be a stylistic signing that makes sense, therefore Tottenham should be prepared to loosen the purse strings to force a deal through, even if that means paying over the odds.
Ndombele can contribute in both halves of the pitch as displayed by his ball retrieval stats in the Champions League. He averaged 3.9 ball recoveries per game, helping Lyon to some excellent team performances. This included matches against both Manchester City and Barcelona, showing that he can compete against the very best.
In recent years, Tottenham have been reluctant to spend lots of money. This is a combination of Daniel Levy’s stubbornness and Pochettino’s ability to improve those already at the club. However, it has become obvious that they need investment if they are to continue their growth under the Argentine. Their overachievement to reach a Champions League final will help them attract a better calibre of player this summer. They need to take advantage of that.
There isn’t a great need for the club to spend big this summer, but two or three quality players will push the team on further. Ndombele would represent the perfect start to Tottenham’s summer, as he will provide a huge improvement to the current options available to Pochettino and he would fit in perfectly to the team’s style. They face huge competition, but this is a transfer that the board needs to make a priority.
