Tottenham are reportedly in negotiations with Galatasaray to cut Tanguy Ndombele’s loan move short. Daniel Levy has been trying to flog the Frenchman for the past few transfer windows, and his contract situation may force Spurs to take a painful financial hit if a suitor comes along in January.
Despite a wave of expensive acquisitions in recent years, Ndombele remains Tottenham’s record signing. The tricky midfielder cost £63million from Lyon in 2019, and while things started relatively brightly in north London, it didn’t last long.
Ndombele has managed 10 goals in 91 first-team appearances for the Lilywhites, although he has not featured at all since the 2021/22 season, when he was frozen out by former boss Antonio Conte.
The size of the 26-year-old’s price tag means that Levy is understandably reluctant to sell on the cheap, but a disastrous loan move to Galatasaray may have left him with no choice but to do just that.
According to Super Haber, the Turkish giants are so outraged by the way Ndombele’s loan spell has panned out, they have returned to the negotiating table with Tottenham in the hope of sending him back to London in January.
The player’s manager and team-mates are understood to be growing frustrated at his lack of effort on and off the pitch. And with some deeming Ndombele to be carrying ‘excessive weight’, it appears as though there is no way back for him in Turkey.
His Spurs side are second in the Premier League table and dramatically exceeding pre-season expectations. Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr are an exciting duo at the base of midfield, and there is little prospect of Ndombele displacing James Maddison in the No 10 role.
It remains to be seen whether Tottenham receive any interest in Ndombele when the window swings open. The former France international has started only one game all season, with just over 90 minutes of league action under his belt.
