Tanguy Ndombele was handed a rare start by Jose Mourinho against Southampton on Sunday and the midfielder certainly did not disappoint.
He was Tottenham’s most creative outlet in the first half, helping to create Spurs’ equaliser with a moment of magic with just seconds to go.
Jose Mourinho confirmed after the game that the midfielder was withdrawn during the interval as he is still working up to being match fit (Football.London).
It was reported last week that the Spurs boss and the Frenchman had put their issues behind them, with the midfielder determined to prove himself in North London this season on the back of a difficult first campaign.
There has been plenty of speculation regarding the midfielder’s future over recent months (Calcio Mercato) and it has now emerged that Mourinho blocked the midfielder from joining Juventus.
According to the print edition of L’Equipe on September 19 (as relayed by Sportskeeda), the Serie A giants offered Tottenham the chance to sign Douglas Costa and Federico Bernardeschi in exchange for the former Lyon man.
However, Mourinho reportedly was not in favour of the deal as he wanted Ndombele to stay and fight for his place at Spurs.
Spurs Web Opinion
The fact that Jose decided to hand Ndombele a start in the number ten role ahead of Lamela, Lo Celso and Dele yesterday was a massive vote of confidence from the Spurs boss to the Frenchman. If Ndombele can build up his fitness and get a run of games under his belt, one cannot underestimate the impact he can have on this Spurs side.
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