Barcelona are reportedly ready to offer an escape route to Tottenham midfielder Tanguy Ndombele, who has struggled in his first season in England.
According to a report from Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona are considering making a summer swoop for Tottenham Hotspur and France midfielder Tanguy Ndombele.
Ndombele signed for Tottenham last summer for a club-record transfer fee of £55 million. However, he has struggled to make the kind of impact that was expected of him when he made the move. The midfielder’s cause hasn’t been helped by the constant injury issues that have plagued him.
Ndombele has been at the receiving end of some strong criticism from Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho recently. And with reports claiming that the Portuguese tactician is keen on adding another central midfielder to his roster next summer (h/t Football.London), there have been question marks raised over the future of the 23-year-old.
As per Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona have set their sights on Ndombele as they look to bolster their midfield department. The Catalans are ready to offload Ivan Rakitic before next season, with the midfielder slowly being phased out of the starting XI. Arturo Vidal could also be on his way out of the club, which would leave a couple of vacant spots in the squad.
As per the report, Barcelona are hoping to add someone who could fill in the box-to-box role, by adding a player who could bring energy and dynamism to the midfield. And Ndombele has emerged as a viable candidate for the Blaugrana despite his struggles in England this season.
Ndombele may have endured a difficult debut campaign at Tottenham, but his time with Lyon has provided enough evidence of his undisputed talent. The six-time capped France international has made 27 appearances so far for the Lilywhites, scoring two goals and setting up four more.
The report adds that Ndombele would be open to a change of scenery as his relationship with Mourinho isn’t at its best. But, the Frenchman still has over five years left on his contract with Tottenham and Barcelona might find it tough to convince Spurs’ chairman Daniel Levy to part ways with the midfielder without a hefty transfer fee.
It remains to be seen if Barcelona, who are also linked with Napoli’s Fabian Ruiz, do make an attempt to sign Ndombele from Tottenham come summer.
