OPINION
Tottenham could have been handed a fresh boost in their hunt to sign midfielder Tanguy Ndombele after it was reported that Lyon have found a potential replacement for Mauricio Pochettino’s target.
According to French news outlet Le Quotidien du Foot, Lyon have approached the agent of Nantes central midfielder Valentin Rongier, who had an impressive campaign in Ligue 1 this season.
It is understood that Rongier, 24, is ready to leave Nantes and he would be an “ideal replacement” for Spurs target Ndombele.
Lyon’s contact over Rongier is surely a boost for Spurs as Le10Sport has recently reported that Pochettino wants to strike a deal over Ndombele as soon as possible.
The Ligue 1 club are also understood to be keen on moving the 22-year-old on before the end of June so that they can add his transfer value to their annual accounts, which close later this month.
It is mutually beneficial for both Spurs and Lyon to have Ndombele swap Ligue 1 for the Premier League in the coming weeks and as Lyon have eyed up a replacement, that must mean that they are now more willing to let Tottenham have their target.
Ndombele would surely be a top addition to Pochettino’s squad as well.
The tireless midfielder is like a younger, more agile version of Mousa Dembele, who left North London for China in the January transfer window.
Spurs’ central midfield area has also been a major weak point in the last couple of seasons so a player with Ndombele’s attributes would provide a huge boost in quality ahead of the 2019/20 campaign.
With each report about Tottenham’s hunt to sign Ndombele, it appears as though the London club is getting close to their goal of snapping up the France international and Lyon’s approach for Rongier is yet another sign that this could be a bright summer for Pochettino and Daniel Levy.