Soccer

Tanguy Ndombele signs for Spurs in record deal

Spurs were able to see off late interest from Man United for 22 year-old midfielder

Tanguy Ndombele has signed a contract with Spurs and completed his move from Lyon. Photo: Nathan Stirk/Getty Images

David Hytner
Tue Jul 2 2019 - 12:17

Tanguy Ndombele has signed a six-year contract at Tottenham after passing a medical. The club have shattered their transfer record to buy the midfielder from Lyon for €62m (£55.45m) plus €10m in add-ons – eclipsing the £42m paid to Ajax for Davinson Sánchez in 2017.

The 22-year-old was Mauricio Pochettino’s No 1 target and Spurs were able to see off late interest from Manchester United. Pochettino has convinced six-times capped France international that the next step of his career would be best served at Tottenham and Ndombele was impressed when shown around the training ground.

Jean-Michel Aulas, the Lyon chairman, has maintained that Ndombele is worth €75m and he is line to virtually get his price. What Spurs will get is a player to quicken the pulse, a central midfielder to replace Mousa Dembélé, mixing skill and electric dribbling with raw power.

Roma are considering a move for the Spurs centre-half Toby Alderweireld, and the idea has been floated that the Italian club’s midfielder Nicolò Zaniolo could be part of a deal. That would involve Spurs paying a surplus because Alderweireld, 30, is available for £25m this month due to a clause in his contract and Zaniolo, a 20-year-old prospect, is rated in the £40m bracket.

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Spurs are open to bids for the full-backs Kieran Trippier and Danny Rose and they put their names forward to Roma only to be told there is no interest in either. But they would be open to taking Alderweireld, who has entered the final year of his deal and can be signed at a discount provided that the transfer is completed at least 14 days before the window closes on August 8th.

Roma, who finished sixth in Serie A, are looking for central defenders after selling Kostas Manolas to Napoli for €36m and they also like Marc Bartra of Real Betis. Alderweireld is weighing up whether to see out his deal at Spurs.

Zaniolo is on Spurs’ wish-list after his breakthrough season at Roma and the London club have held talks with his representatives. There remains the expectation that Spurs will sell their playmaker Christian Eriksen, which would greatly help to balance the books, after he announced that he wanted a new challenge at another club. Real Madrid are interested in him, as are Juventus, whose new manager, Maurizio Sarri, is a big fan.

Trippier’s future has been under the spotlight and if he leaves it could see Spurs move for either the Norwich right-back Max Aarons or Fulham’s Steven Sessegnon. Spurs are keen to sign Sessegnon’s twin, Ryan, also of Fulham, who is rated at £25m.

Tottenham have completed the signing of the winger Jack Clarke from Leeds for around £10m, rising to a possible £11.5m, and have loaned the 18-year-old back to Elland Road for the season.

Guardian services