Tottenham Hotspur have completed the signing of Lyon midfielder Tanguy Ndombele for a fee of around £65million.
After several months of speculation regarding the future of Tanguy Ndombele, with Juventus, Real Madrid and Manchester United along with Tottenham all rumoured to be scouring for his signature, it looks as though Ndombele has chosen his ideal destination. The fee eclipses the £42million paid for defender Davinson Sanchez from Ajax two years ago. Also, marks Tottenham’s first major signing since they completed a deal to bring in Brazillian Lucas Moura in January 2018.
Despite the fact that Tottenham Hotspur have been inactive in the market for over a year, Pochettino has still managed to achieve much of the unthinkable with a squad that has been stretched thin for a long while. Reaching a first Champions League final even without the likes of Harry Kane and Dele Alli for much of the second half of the season. Although, those achievements have masked much of the problems facing the club in terms of money for recruitment – a result of their new stadium and debts – Pochettino now feels the time has come for the club to seriously look at strengthening the squad enabling them to compete with the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City for the Premier League title.
Pochettino has stated previous that the club needed to be more ambitious in the market like their Premier League counterparts if they are to achieve their ambitions of winning a major trophy whether in Europe or domestically. For the last five years, Tottenham have become a case of ‘nearly-men’, putting on worthy and complete performances which heightens the hopes of their fans only to then see a momentous run towards the pinnacle of the Premier League slip through their fingers whether by a shock defeat or a sucker-punch draw. Whatever the reasons are for those disappointments, whether it’s the mentality of the players and staff or the lack of quality in an around the squad to maintain a fruitful challenge will certainly need to be addressed throughout this summer.
The signing of Lyon’s midfield linchpin Tanguy Ndombele is a step in the right direction and a sure sign of how far Tottenham will go to fulfil those dreams and aspirations. At £65million Tottenham feel that Ndombele will swiftly come in and become a huge asset to squad that has been in dire need of some injection and added bite. After the loss of Belgian Mousa Dembele, 6 months ago, Pochettino has missed a player capable of dictating play in the middle and using his sheer strength and power to muscle their way through tight spaces. Not only that, but a player capable of threading a pass that dissects a tight-knit defence within an instant. Much of those characteristics have been lacking in Tottenham’s play, so much so that Pochettino has at times forced his most creative player Christian Eriksen to sacrifice his own creative duties within the final third to dictate play from deep. Certainly, Eriksen is capable of performing that role but you have to feel his efforts are far suited further up the field assisting the likes of Harry Kane, Son Heung-Min, Lucas Moura and Dele Alli.
Well, Tanguy Ndombele is the answer to those frailties in the middle. A player capable of being effective both in the final third and within the defensive phases of play. You only to check out the clip below:
A fine player to watch. You could see in some clips his abilities on the ball and his knack of executing the kind of passes that will have Tottenham fans purring over. It was his performances against Manchester City in both games in the Champions League group stages that really captured the imagination of the whole crowd. It even made City coach Pep Guardiola stand up and take notice as the French international controlled and dominated the whole of the pitch as Lyon ran riot at the Etihad Stadium in September. It was on that night, Ndombele came of age. This is a player well on his way to stardom and by the various links to Manchester City, Juventus and Manchester United, you could tell the calibre of player Spurs are desperate to add to their ranks.
A very modern, all rounded centre-midfielder who adds significant bite and panache in all phases of play in possession, out of possession and also in defence and attack. Regularly deployed as a midfield pairing along with fellow French counterpart Lucas Tousart or even Houssem Aouar – another player who garnered much acclaim and praise from Guardiola on that night.
It is a pairing that adds drive, hard work, grit, control and a real tenacious edge both in the tackle and when in possession. Tanguy Ndombele ticks all the boxes in what you would desire in your archetypal modern-day midfielder. He has a real eye for a defence splitting pass as seen on many instances in his all rounded display against Manchester City. The French international was a joy to behold on the night. Aside from his passing, he is a real powerhouse when driving with the ball, so much so that it is impossible to retrieve the ball once he is in full flow – a quality that saw Mousa Dembele excel for Spurs under Pochettino even if he lacked the quality in the final third.
Tanguy Ndombele both drives through the middle like Dembele and can also become just as effective in the final third with his instinctive thinking and excellent creativity especially when under pressure. What will also become a vital tool for Pochettino when deploying Ndombele is whenever Tottenham play the ball out from the back – a tactic held in much regard by Pochettino – rather than just passing their way through an opponents high-intensity pressing, they now hold a player capable of overcoming that pressure with his brilliant dribbling skills and incredible close control. Like Yaya Toure or Patrick Vieira in their own glory days. Tottenham now possess a player who can drive them up the field without the need of trying to play risky passes in between the lines in order topple an aggressive pressing unit.
On top of all that, Ndombele is a tireless worker. Tottenham have been criticised heavily for their constant knack of switching off in midfield late on in games which then blows their lead as a result, but having a player who is constantly on his toes throughout the whole game will be a heavy wake-up call for his fellow teammates. His ability to cope when pressed largely stems from his dribbling proficiency. In all competitions this season, he averaged 5.05 dribble attempts per 90 minutes. That figure is unique for a central midfielder and for some perspective check out Tottenham’s other midfield stats, Eric Dier averages 0.47, Victor Wanyama 1.67, Harry Winks 2.01, and Christian Eriksen 2.05.
Moreover, what is equally impressive is of every player to complete at least 50 dribbles in Ligue 1 last season, Ndombele had the best dribble success rate, at 68.5 per cent. By way of comparison, Neymar completed just 52.5 per cent of his dribble attempts, Kylian Mbappe 48.2 per cent and Hatem Ben Arfa 52 per cent.
The Frenchman will not be particularly inclined or tasked with assisting or scoring but he certainly plays a part in everything leading up to an opportunity or a goal. He makes more forward passes per 90 minutes than any other Spurs midfielder, as well as making more passes in the final third. His dribbling abilities matches that of Moussa Sissoko, however, the Tottenham midfielder is not nearly as complete and creative as Ndombele and his stats over the past season tells its own story. Ndombele always receives a pass having the intention and nous to go forward, and that is his priority. Whether charging his way forward or playing a pass that truly parts a tight defence or even finding a team-mate in pockets of space, he is a very progressive outlet, and with the pace of Premier League so frantic and energetic, Ndombele will have no problems bedding in. Having the ability to do things a split-second quicker in this environment is always a very valuable commodity and Pochettino will truly grace himself once he is able to unlock Ndombele’s true capabilities next season.
Tanguy Ndombele is by no means the finished article. However, at the age of 22, he is a player that is performing well beyond his years. He is far more a box-to-box midfielder than a traditional holding deep-lying playmaker but what’s unique about him is that he can carry out both roles to perfection. A midfield trident – providing Tottenham are unable to make any more midfield additions – of Ndombele, Harry Winks and Moussa Sissoko could offer real blend of creativity, control and sheer power. £65million is a huge amount considering the fact that club is really hell-bent on keeping its spending to a minimum after the £1bn new stadium, but Ndombele is an investment for the future, a player real worthy of taking Spurs to the next level and also a player who can almost single-handedly inspire Pochettino to a first trophy at the club.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YK6CV5WkyU4
Just only two years ago, Ndombele was plying his trade in the French division and look at how much of a difference two years makes. His rise to stardom has been stark and is now finally a fully fledgling international for last summers World Cup winners France. If this impressive trajectory continues for the midfield powerhouse, he could become the start of a new and improved era for Tottenham Hotspur and Mauricio Pochettino. Watch this space.
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