Barcelona are reportedly set to rival Real Madrid in the race to sign 24-year-old French international Tanguy Ndombele from Tottenham.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Tanguy Ndombele is the subject of interest from Barcelona and Real Madrid over a late move in the summer transfer window. The 24-year-old French international could be on his way out of Tottenham Hotspur before the end of this month.
Tanguy Ndombele joined Tottenham Hotspur from Lyon in the summer of 2019 and has since struggled to make a lot of progress in his career. So far in his stint with Spurs, he played under the tutelage of as many as four managers, having his fair share of troubles with each of them, thereby failing to justify the tag of being the north Londoners’ club record buy.
To date, the 24-year-old has featured 75 times for Tottenham while chipping in with eight goals and as many assists in the process. However, his inconsistent performances for Spurs have meant that he has lost his spot in the French national side. Having said that, the prospective suitors have not been deterred, with the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid hot on his trails.
The interest from Barcelona is not too surprising, considering Miralem Pjanic has been deemed to be surplus to requirements at Camp Nou and linked with AC Milan and Juventus while Ilaix Moriba is no longer in the first-team picture as he continues his impasse with the Blaugrana over the terms of a new deal.
As a result, it is imperative that Barcelona sign a midfielder to take the burden off of Pedri, Sergio Busquets and Frenkie de Jong, making Ndombele a viable target. However, with the Frenchman likely to be priced at a substantial figure by Tottenham, Barcelona might not be able to afford him. Real Madrid, on the other hand, have an even more urgent need for a midfielder.
Toni Kroos and Luka Modric are both well into their thirties and are currently out injured. In their absence, Carlo Ancelotti is lacking quality options in the middle of the park, especially with Isco and Dani Ceballos not necessarily in his plans. As a result, Ndombele has emerged as an option for Real Madrid, who are ready to make their move for him.
Apart from Barcelona and Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid are also interested in Ndombele, although a move for the 24-year-old is unlikely. So, for all intents and purposes, Real Madrid appear to be the likeliest candidates to launch the offensive for Ndombele and it remains to be seen if they do sign him from Tottenham.