Hugo Lloris has claimed no one at Tottenham doubted the talent that Tanguy Ndombele possessed despite his struggles to fulfil his potential in North London.
Tottenham signed Ndombele for a club-record fee of £53.8m in the summer of 2019 (BBC Sport).
While the midfielder showed several glimpses of his outstanding talent during his two and a half years at the club, there were question marks around his fitness and his lack of consistency.
The 25-year-old did not get much of a look in once Antonio Conte took over from Nuno Espirito Santo in November and it did not come as much of a surprise when he returned to his former club on loan in January.
The French international has been handed a run of regular starts since returning to the Groupama Stadium and has demonstrated in a handful of games why he is so highly rated by some.
The on-loan Tottenham man put in a fine display on his return to London on Thursday, scoring the equaliser for Lyon in their 1-1 draw against West Ham in the first leg of the Europa League quarter-final.
Lloris has now explained that it was certainly not a lack of ability that prevented Ndombele from being a success at Spurs.
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The goalkeeper told the print edition of L’Equipe (07/04/22 edition – as relayed by Sport Witness): “He was in a somewhat complicated situation at Tottenham.
“He was looking for a little more playing time, which he found in Lyon, in an environment he knows very well, with people who show him a lot of affection, and, to get back on track, this is certainly the best choice he could have made.
“We all know his talent, which has never been questioned at Tottenham. He is a pure talent. He does things that others can’t do.
“Here, he has played some incredible matches, sometimes. And behind his somewhat nonchalant appearance, he has a good background, and he really loves soccer.”
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One can argue that the Premier League was never a particularly good fit for Ndombele. I can see him thriving in a competition like the Serie A, which requires lower intensity. However, the issue for Spurs is that not many Italian clubs are in a position to spend big on players this summer.
So, the North London club would be hoping that PSG reignite their interest in Ndombele in the summer as they are one of the few clubs outside the Premier League who would be able to pay around £35m-£40m for the midfielder and match his current salary.
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