Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly turned down an approach for fringe star Tanguy Ndombele worth €20 million from the reigning Serie A champions Napoli.
Tanguy Ndombele might not be done at Tottenham yet, with Ange Postecoglou set to hand Frenchman the last chance to revive his flailing Premier League career. That is according to L’Equipe (via Sport Witness), which says Spurs have snubbed an approach from Napoli worth €20 million for the midfielder.
Without a doubt, Tottenham fell well below expectations last season, and they ultimately finished the campaign sitting eighth in the Premier League. As a consequence, they have been very busy in the opening exchanges of the summer transfer window as new boss Ange Postecoglou looks to rebuild the squad and turn the Lilywhites’ fortunes around as quickly as possible.
The Australian coach is reportedly prepared to hand a lifeline to a big-money Tottenham flop in Tanguy Ndombele. The Frenchman cost a club-record €62 million at the time of the purchase after starring for French side Lyon. Saying he has not lived up to his astronomical price tag would be a big understatement.
While the French midfielder has shown flashes of quality while in England, he looked like a luxury player, and his lack of defensive work rubbed many people the wrong way during his first stint at Spurs.
He spent last season on loan with Napoli, where he impressed in a bit-part role as the Partenepoi won the Serie A title and made it to the Champions League quarter-finals. The Italian side did have the option to buy Ndombele at the end of his loan stint for €30 million. But they opted against activating this option.
As per L’Equipe, Napoli are trying to drive down the aforementioned price and made an opening bid of around €20 million to secure his services. However, Spurs have seemingly snubbed this offer for the time being.
There have been some noises out of Tottenham recently that Ndombele is going to be given another chance under Postecoglou, who is am admirer of the French midfielder, despite the player falling completely out of favour with multiple coaches and the fans over the past few years. And it makes bucketloads of sense.
Although he may not have impressed with his lacklustre work rate previously, one thing that is abundantly clear is that the Frenchman is really progressive on the ball and is press-resistant. If he is on it, Ndombele has the raw ability to be a top-level player. His creativity and ability to spin on a dime and retain possession are exceptional. Postecoglou’s style demands progression through midfield spaces, which would fit Ndombele’s skillset very well.
He is still under contract at Tottenham until 2025. So there is not much to lose in this case. The report adds that Postecoglou will make him a part of his squad next season as long as he impresses in the pre-season. However, failing to do so could lead to a permanent exit down the line, with interest from Europe and Saudi Arabia.
