French giants Lyon are reportedly in talks with Tottenham Hotspur over a late move for 25-year-old midfielder Tanguy Ndombele.
According to French journalist Julien Maynard, Ligue 1 giants Lyon are in talks with north London club Tottenham Hotspur regarding the January transfer of Tanguy Ndombele.
Spurs broke their transfer record to land the French midfielder in the summer of 2019. However, despite scoring on his debut, Ndombele has struggled to establish himself as a first-teamer at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The 25-year-old has the physicality and the technical ability to become a major player in the Premier League. However, none of it has been on show in England. He has continued to struggle under multiple managers and appears to be on his last legs at the club.
Ndombele’s reaction at being taken off against Morecambe in the FA Cup appears to have been the final straw. He has not been featured for Tottenham since and has been left out of the squad for Tottenham’s four matches since the game.
With the January transfer window set to close on Monday, there are just hours left for Tottenham to find a solution. He could be offered an escape route by his former club, Lyon. It was at the Groupama Stadium that the 25-year-old rose to fame, and a return to familiar surroundings could help him rekindle his career.
Les Gones are 11th in Ligue 1 this season and could yet finish higher should they go on a good run in the second half of the season. Ndombele has the stage set for him to return as a hero and guide his former side up the Ligue 1 standings in the months to come.
Spurs, for their part, appear ready to part ways with the player, which should speed up proceedings. While losing Ndombele without bringing in a replacement could be risky, it matters for little as he already appears to be out of Antonio Conte’s plans.
With four games in hand, Tottenham have a busy schedule ahead of them in the upcoming months. Tottenham can make do with less strength in depth and ride out the campaign with just the Premier League, and the FA Cup left to compete in.
It has not been a good month for Tottenham. They lost out in the race to sign both Adama Traore and Luis Diaz and have so far failed to add to a roster that is crying out for reinforcements. They will hope that Ndombele’s departure will be accompanied by an incoming player or two. Conte has given them an opportunity to salvage the season, and it is up to Daniel Levy to ensure the manager has the tools to do just that.
With nine goals and 10 assists in 91 appearances, Ndombele has underachieved at Tottenham. At 25, he has years left in him and a return to France could be just what he needs to turn his fortunes around. Whether a return to mainland Europe will be the best decision to all parties involved remains to be seen.
