Serie A giants Napoli are reportedly eyeing Tottenham Hotspur outcast Tanguy Ndombele as a replacement for PSG-bound Fabian Ruiz.
According to Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Napoli are among the clubs keeping a close eye on Tottenham Hotspur outcast Tanguy Ndombele as a potential option in the final weeks of the summer transfer window. However, the Serie A bigwigs face stiff competition from Villarreal for the 25-year-old’s signature.
Ndombele’s time at Tottenham has been a rollercoaster. When the French midfielder made the switch to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2019, he was regarded as one of the best young prospects in Europe. And for a club-record fee of £63 million, expectations from him were high.
It is safe to say things have not worked out for Ndombele at Spurs. He has fallen out of favour under four different managers who have been since his arrival, including current boss, Antonio Conte. To date, the Frenchman has made 91 appearances for Tottenham, chipping in with ten goals and nine assists along the way.
Following Conte’s arrival last season, the French midfielder was quickly deemed surplus to requirements and rejoined Lyon on loan in January. Ndombele made 11 Ligue 1 appearances for Lyon, registering two assists for the French club. But he did not make enough of an impression for them to exercise their option to buy the 25-year-old after his loan stint ended.
Napoli are among clubs interested in Tanguy Ndombele. He’s one of the options in the list, while Napoli are working on Keylor Navas, Raspadori and Gio Simeone deals. ? #THFC
Also Villarreal are discussing Ndombele deal with Tottenham – alongside the priority, Gio Lo Celso. pic.twitter.com/QXFc13MOeL
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 9, 2022
The Frenchman is now back at Tottenham, who are yet to find a solution for him. A couple of weeks ago, it was reported that none of the notable teams interested in Ndombele had made an approach for him this summer, with his exorbitant wages proving to be a stumbling block.
However, it looks like Ndombele has managed to attract several suitors in the last few days, with reports claiming that Villarreal are exploring a double swoop for the former Lyon man and Giovani Lo Celso, while Galatasaray have also been mentioned as potential suitors. Now, Napoli have also entered the race to sign the Tottenham outcast.
The Serie A bigwigs view the 25-year-old midfielder as one of the candidates to replace the outgoing Fabian Ruiz, who is on his way to joining Paris Saint-Germain this summer. The Partenopei would prefer a loan deal with an option to buy him next year but there is no agreement in place yet.
Ndombele is contracted at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium until June 2025, and Spurs are keen to sort out the Frenchman’s future as he is not a player Conte is keen to re-integrate in his side, considering he has fallen further down the pecking order following the arrivals of Yves Bissouma, and Rodrigo Bentancur.
There is no doubting the French international’s ability and the quality he can show on the ball. Keeping his off-field issues aside, Ndombele can be a difference-maker for any team on his day. So, it will be interesting to see where he will be plying his trade next season amid the emergence of Serie A giants Napoli.
