Talent goes and talent comes. That’s the way the world works; out with the old and in with the new. While some people may view that idea with a tinge of negativity because it means the departure/depreciation with players they were attached to, it also means excitement at what the future holds. There’s a smorgasbord of talent and it is waiting to be unlocked. Potential yearns to become execution. Young talent hopes to become a great talent and with the right development, it can reach the zenith. Enter Tanguy Ndombele; the 22-year-old French signed for Tottenham Hotspur with a fee reported to be in and around the 70 million ballparks (euros). With the right set of eyes and ears to guide him, he could be the next to conquer the Premier league.
Lyon is no stranger to churning out players of high caliber. Alexandre Lacazette is a fine example. The striker really shone for the Gunners in the most recent season. Ndombele is quite the challenge in the box to box position and thanks to his quick feet and equally quick head, he has been able to maneuver past defenders at the drop of a hat, not to mention his solid passing ability. He showed his technicality in his UCL match against Manchester City last year where the French side pulled an upset over the EPL Champions, considered to be one of the deadliest teams in the modern era. With such a dynamic array of skills, Tanguy Ndombele has garnered comparisons to Chelsea extraordinaire Michael Essien and even N’golo Kante and it’s hard not to imagine why. With the right guidance, he could become the next Essien or maybe even surpass him.
He has the stats to add further weight to his hefty transfer fee. He racked up 7 assists in the French League in 31 matches. He averaged 0.9 shots per game. He averaged 1.4 and 1.9 key passes and dribbles per game while maintaining a passing accuracy of 89.1%. He had 1.9 tackles per game showing he isn’t a slouch on the defensive end of things either.
Factoring in at Tottenham:
Tottenham is known to be a team that heavily favours attack. Mauricio Pochettino has molded them into a formidable force and thanks to that they reached the UCL final for the first time in their history. With the future of their maestro Eriksen under debate, they will need to sign a few players of high caliber. Eriksen was one of the top assisters in the last season and is one of the best midfielders in the world at the moment. Now with teams like Manchester United, Real Madrid and other affluent teams circling big name players like sharks in a feeding frenzy, Tottenham will end up inevitably losing some players to lucrative deals. But they are famous for player development and getting amazing results without spending much and making the best with what they have. With the signing of Ndombele, a lot can be expected.
Ndombele is by heart a player that prefers aggression and attack and Tottenham are certainly to strangers in exerting aggression. This seems like a match made in heaven. Ndombele could cut deep into the defence and either play through balls to the center-forward or the winger who can lay in the cross and in all probability, Harry Kane will be on the receiving end of that cross. Kane is one of the deadliest goal scorers who has a natural aptitude for converting crosses and so you only bet on him to score. His ability to play both attack and defensive central midfield will help the club adapt against the tougher opponents. Regardless of whether Eriksen leaves or stays, Ndombele’s playmaking skills, dribbling, and ferocity are bound to pay dividends for the club. A combination with Moussa Sissoko would be very interesting. He could switch with Sissoko depending on the needs of the game; one could play holding midfield while the other advances as an attacker - be it the central midfield or veering more towards the wing. The would create a lot of unpredictability within the club. He could also be used for substitutions with Sissoko or Eriksen. Up front, players like Harry Kane or Dele Alli or at times, even Son could take advantage of his skills and score goals at a crazy rate. He could provide cover in defence and even switch to aggression and back, and coordinate with Alderweirald or Vertonghen.
In the end, with his speed and adaptability in both attacking and defending football, the possibilities are endless. He could gain a lot of experience and develop his skills even further in Tottenham, which has become synonymous with developing players, especially under the tutelage of Mauricio Pochettino. The possibilities are endless in what is surely a steal of a signing(even if the price-tag seems expensive at first glance).
