Embattled midfielder Tanguy Ndombele issues update on his Tottenham Hotspur future
Speaking at his official presentation as a Lyon player via RMC Sport (h/t football.london), midfielder Tanguy Ndombele opened up about his future with Tottenham Hotspur after rejoining Lyon on loan in the winter transfer window.
Spurs’ record signing moved to England in 2019 amid much hype but has failed to establish himself as a regular for the Lilywhites. A dominant midfielder during his earlier stint at the Groupama Stadium, precious little of it was on show at Tottenham.
Despite former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino splashing the cash for the Frenchman, the player has failed to reproduce that same form that was expected of him. The midfielder spoke about his time in north London after his return to Lyon, saying he faced some trouble with the English club.
“I’ve known five coaches in two and a half years. It’s not their fault but I had a little trouble at Tottenham. I learned in England even though it didn’t go well.”
The midfielder returned to Lyon on a temporary basis until the end of the season, with the Ligue 1 club also having the option to make his loan move permanent at the end of the season for £54m.
At 25, the Frenchman still has time on his side to resurrect what has been a flagging career. Whether his time in North London is coming to a close remains to be seen.
Spurs future still in plans
Despite being at the club since 2019, Ndombele has struggled to nail down a starting spot in the club’s starting XI. This season as well, manager Antonio Conte has preferred to use other midfielders instead of the Frenchman, whose performances have proven to be unreliable.
Conte may not have the player in his plans for the near future while at Tottenham, but Ndombele does not echo the manager’s sentiments, believing he can still make it at Spurs.
“Tottenham is not over, I still belong to the club. I did not have any pressure with the amount of my transfer.”
Although it remains to be seen whether Ndombele makes a return to Spurs at the end of the season, Lyon will look to take advantage of the midfielder’s time back in France.
Lyon fans know just exactly what the midfielder is capable of, having watched him excel with the club before his move to Tottenham. The France international may rediscover his rhythm while playing in his native country, in a league he is quite familiar with.
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Spurs fans may be happy to see the back of Ndombele for the time being, having booed him off the field in the side’s FA Cup clash against Morecambe, where the Frenchman had a shocker on the pitch. They can only hope that the player has a better time in Ligue 1 after his underwhelming spell in England.
Only time will tell if Lyon opts to take the option of making Ndombele’s move permanent in the summer. It will be interesting to see what comes of the player’s move to France at the end of the season, and it is sure worth keeping an eye on him in the coming months.
