OPINION
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has always proven to be a shrewd negotiator when it comes to signing players for a reasonable price but it’s hard to fathom why Spurs reportedly think they can sign Lyon midfielder Tanguy Ndombele below his price tag.
According to The Sun, Spurs think they can sign the 22-year-old midfielder for somewhere in the region of £50million despite Lyon demanding £70million for him.
The national newspaper claim that Spurs are more likely to agree a deal for Ndombele than sign Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon despite this stance.
Yet given that Tottenham believe they can knock roughly £20million, which is no small figure, off Ndombele’s price tag and still have a chance of signing him, Levy surely has a trick up his sleeve.
As why else would Spurs think that 22-year-old is set to cost them less than £70million this summer if they make a move.
Ndombele had a fantastic 2018/19 campaign as he scored three goals and registered eight assists in his 49 outings across all competitions.
So his recent form doesn’t suggest Lyon will have to lower their demand.
Especially when you consider that the 22-year-old will likely attract other suitors due to his talent if there is any sniff of him being sold this summer.
Also Ndombele, who has four caps for France, is contracted to stay at Lyon until 2023, so it’s not like they’re in a position where they need to sell in order to stop him leaving for free anytime soon.
With all this in mind, if Spurs are truly confident that they can successfully sign Ndombele for significantly below his price tag, Levy must know something others don’t.