On the latest episode of The Extra Inch podcast, Chris Miller, Nathan Clark and @BardiTFC have been reflecting on the latest goings-on at Tottenham Hotspur, looking back on the win against Everton, and previewing the game against Bournemouth on Thursday night.
One topic of discussion on the recent episode, which was titled ‘The Cult Of Mourinho‘, was the latest rumours surrounding Spurs man Tanguy Ndombele. It was suggested earlier this week that Barcelona are keen to sign the former Lyon man, alongside Ryan Sessegnon, ahead of next season, despite the Frenchman’s difficult first season in the Premier League.
The 23-year-old joined the Lilywhites in a club-record deal last summer but fitness issues have plagued him throughout the season; with the midfielder completing 90 minutes on just three occasions in the Premier League (per Whoscored), ahead of Thursday’s game.
Here’s what Clark had to say regarding the reports:
“It looks like he’s [Jose Mourinho] definitely turned down the option of selling Sessegnon, but hasn’t definitely turned down the possibility of selling Ndombele and it’ll be really, really terrible to see either of those players leave.”
Miller then offers his opinion on the rumours, saying:
“The more I see what Mourinho has done with our squad and tactics post-lockdown, the more I fear that Ndombele is leaving us. I don’t think that he can trust Ndombele to do the things he wants done consistently and it really upsets me that he could move on without having ever been given a proper chance.
“I think we’re both in agreement at this point that it is surely better to lose Mourinho than Ndombele for a whole multitude of reasons, but even financially, if we sold Ndombele now, we’re going to have lost value on him.”
TIF Thoughts…
We’re sure that Ndombele could see the attraction of getting a fresh start with a side like Barcelona, considering he played just 19 minutes of Premier League football since the restart, prior to Thursday night’s game against Bournemouth.
However, the La Liga side is in dire financial straits, so as the report from the Evening Standard suggests, they may be forced to offer players plus cash if they want to sign the French international this summer, which may prove a problem in any potential deal if Spurs can’t agree on the player(s) they would want in exchange.
Who would you rather see leave?
Tanguy Ndombele
Jose Mourinho
It will be interesting to see if the 23-year-old is given a chance from the start in any of Spurs’ remaining games, and whether or not he will still be a Spurs player at the start of next season.