Georges-Kevin NKoudou is set to quit Tottenham today (Tuesday) and seal a shock loan move to Premier League rivals Burnley, according to L’Equipe.
The French sports newspaper claim that the deal will be announced in the “coming hours” after the winger, 22, made his mind up that he wanted to stay in the Premier League.
L’Equipe report that Fiorentina, Seville, Braga and Nice have also been keen to sign NKoudou but he has been convinced to move to Burnley following phone conversations with their manager Sean Dyche.
It is said that NKoudou has struggled to cope with the intensive physical preparation at Tottenham under manager Mauricio Pochettino, which left him exhausted.
The French winger, 22, signed for Spurs for £11million from Marseille but has never really made an impact on the senior team, with most of his 23 appearances across all competitions coming as a substitute.
NKoudou has played just six times this season and has not once been named in the starting line-up despite long-term absences for the likes of Erik Lamela, Mousa Dembele and Victor Wanyama.
Good move for Tottenham?
The message from Pochettino is strong and clear; NKoudou is nowhere near good enough to be in his team. This doesn’t mean he lacks ability – his sheer pace marks him out as a threat and he is a decent dribbler – but his lack of work rate is a major issue. Moreover, his touch, passing, combination play, game awareness, tactical understanding, you name it, are far from the level required for a player to shine in Pochettino’s squad. Dyche has a habit of turning water into wine with waifs, strays and unwanted players from other clubs, but he is also demanding. It will benefit all parties if the Burnley boss is able to lick the speedy wide man into shape in the coming months.
This Is Futbol rating 7/10
Likely to happen?
This is all but a done deal. When the reliable L’Equipe say a deal is hours away, expect an announcement imminently.
This Is Futbol rating 9/10