View: Does Tanguy Ndombele deserve a second Tottenham chance?

Matthew finished a Broadcast Journalism degree at Nottingham Trent University in May 2023. He is a lifelong Tottenham Hotspur fan who grew up just down the road from his beloved club in North London, watching Gareth Bale score screamer after screamer. Aside from his passion for writing and football, Matthew is a keen fan of UFC. After initially joining Breaking Media as a writer, he became an Assistant Editor in May 2025.

Published on:

03 Jun 2023, 11:00 am

After winning the Serie A this season while on loan with Napoli, Tanguy Ndombele now wishes to return to England and Tottenham.

According to a report by FootMercato (2 June), Ndombele informed Napoli during a conversation between the club and the player about his future that he wishes to return to North London and revive his Spurs career.

Ndombele has spent the past two seasons away on loan, previously with his former club Lyon during the 2021/22 campaign before his time in Italy last season.

Although the midfielder only played 1,180 minutes during his time in Italy in all competitions, when he did feature, he boasted some impressive stats.

As per FBREF, the 26-year-old had an average pass accuracy of 87.8 per cent in the Serie A, putting him in the 93rd percentile for midfielders in the league.

Even more impressively, Ndombele made 3.01 progressive carries per 90 and 2.12 successful take-ons per 90. For both of these statistics, the player was in the 98th and 99th percentile respectively, for midfielders in the league.

A future at Tottenham?

If Ndombele is to make it at Spurs, the player will have to show a level of commitment and desire he has yet to show. The talent is there for all to see, but many fans have often questioned his work rate and hunger.

For this reason, the club-record signing has never quite settled in at Spurs since his £63 million switch from Lyon. However, the Frenchman's desire to return to the Premier League might demonstrate a change in his mindset.

A fully fit and focused Ndombele who can handle the physicality of the Premier League would be exactly what Tottenham's midfield is crying out for. In terms of on-the-ball ability, he is one of the most gifted players the club has had in many years.

In my view, with the mess Tottenham currently finds itself in, and the need for some real quality in the middle of the park, there is no harm in giving Ndombele a second chance. He is an exciting player with plenty of potential if utilised.

The reward outweighs the risk, in this instance.

In other Tottenham news, how will Destiny Ugodie fit in at Spurs next season ahead of his arrival?

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