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Tottenham have opened talks with Lyon about the potential transfer of midfielder Tanguy Ndombélé.
However, a major sticking point is the price, with the clubs currently poles apart when it comes to the valuation of the 22-year old French international. Lyon’s president Jean-Michel Aulas, values the player at £67 million (€75 million), whilst Spurs are believed to have offered €50 million (£45 million) for the midfielder who already has 6 full international caps for his country.
Manager Mauricio Pochettino has identified Ndombélé as the type of player he needs to add pace and power to his midfield, the player having earned widespread praise for his pace, and ability to dribble and pass.
Unfortunately for them, Aulas knows that there is interest in the player from some of the biggest names in Europe – including Manchester City, Juventus, and Real Madrid – and is likely to use that as a bargaining chip when it comes to holding out for a higher price. With Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy also known as a very tough negotiator, it remains to be seen how much either side is willing to bend to get a deal done.
Andy is an exiled English football fan living in Cyprus. He loves all sports but football is his abiding passion, and he still has dreams every now and then about scoring the winning goal in a Wembley Cup Final, even though his playing days are long gone. He follows most major leagues, across Europe at least, and has a favoured team in each. When he’s not watching, listening, reading or downloading podcasts about football, he spend his time worrying about his beloved Arsenal.