Saturday marks three years to the day since Tanguy Ndombele signed on the dotted line at Tottenham Hotspur. A standout performer for Lyon during the 2018/19 season, Mauricio Pochettino was intent on luring the talented player to N17 ahead of a number of Europe's biggest clubs and he managed to do so in a big-money deal.
Breaking their transfer record to sign the Frenchman, the deal Spurs agreed with Lyon had the possibility of reaching £59.6million in total - €60million with incentives which could reach as high as €10m - if the add-ons in the agreement were achieved. Three years on from his move to the club, Ndombele's future is up in the air after a nightmare 36 months in the capital.
The player has shown glimpses of his undoubted quality at Tottenham but has never done enough over a consistent period of time to demonstrate that he can reach the heights he achieved at Lyon. The fact the player ended up back at his former club on loan at the end of January only highlights his downfall.
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Starting the 2021/22 campaign out of Nuno Espirito Santo's Tottenham team amid the uncertainty over his future, the 25-year-old was given a good run of games under the Portuguese after the transfer window closed but soon found himself back on the bench following the appointment of Antonio Conte. The Italian was clearly not convinced by the French international despite his undeniable talents and only two starts came his way, with his last appearance for Spurs seeing him booed as he walked slowly off the pitch after his substitution against Morecambe in the FA Cup following an abject display.
Not appearing in another matchday squad for Spurs after that and kept apart from the rest of the first-team squad in training sessions, the writing was on the wall for the player. Getting regular pitch time under his belt at Lyon but failing to hit top form, Ndombele will soon be back at Hotspur Way for pre-season training ahead of the new term.
Ndombele doesn't have a future under Conte in the capital and now it will be down to Fabio Paratici and the club to find a resolution ahead of the summer transfer deadline. So what exactly will happen with the player before the window closes at 11pm on Wednesday, September 1?
The ideal scenario for both parties is that there is a clean break and Ndombele finds a new club and moves away on a permanent deal to help get his career back on track. The problem, however, is that there will be a lack of interested parties queuing up to sign him permanently due to his struggles at Tottenham.
A permanent exit would also have to see Spurs take a huge hit on the eye-watering fee they paid out to Lyon in July 2019 as clubs simply aren't going to come close to the £59.6m because his market value has dropped significantly due to his loss of form and lack of playing time. Daniel Levy will want to bring in as much money as possible for the club's record signing but that will be easier said than done.
A loan option may have to be the way forward once again or else Ndombele will have to bide his time watching on from the sidelines at Tottenham as the rest of the first team squad look to challenge towards the top of the league under Conte. While his return to Lyon may not have worked out, a successful loan spell elsewhere in 2022/23 could help increase his current market value and also attract interest in his services 12 months down the line.
Ndombele is keeping himself fit at present ahead of his return to Hotspur Way, positing a video on his Instagram stories on Tuesday of him working on his fitness and also his dazzling footwork as he worked on a shooting drill. All eyes of course will be on incomings this summer as Paratici looks to take Tottenham to the next level, but he also has a tricky task on his hands when it comes to moving on a number of players as he attempts to give the squad a much-needed refresh.
Ndombele is his biggest challenge when it comes to outgoings but you should never write off Paratici when it comes to the transfer market.
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