Tanguy Ndombele: Tottenham’s Secret Weapon?
To a lot of football fans out there, the nameTanguy Ndombelemay not ring a bell. This is because the black-skinnedTottenhamplayer hasn’t achieved what icons likeLionel MessiandCristiano Ronaldohave in their trailblazing careers. But that doesn’t mean the youngster is without potential.
Born inFrancetoCongoleseparents, 22-year oldTanguy Ndombelewas introduced to the game as a child, playing forFC Epinay Athletico, a club about 20kilometres south ofParis.
In 2014, while he was withSC Amiens(who had just been relegated fromFrench Ligue 2),Ndombeletried out for different clubs but was rejected because they regarded him as someone who was “overweight”. He moved toLyonin 2017 on a one-year loan contract before eventually signing forTottenham Hotspurin a £55.45 million deal.
For a player who is relatively unknown internationally,Spurshave obviously taken a risk in the acquisition. IsNdombele really worth the record signing? That question requires quick analysis of his gameplay.
Tanguy Ndombeleis a midfielder who covers a lot of ground and controls the centre of the pitch. With just a few games atLyon, he began dominating matches in the centre of the midfield.
In the 2018/19 season, he continued to shine with his all-action style seeing him press and challenge opponents when out of possession. He constantly drove his side forward relentlessly.
Ndombeleis one of the best ball progressors in European football, both in terms of passing and carrying the ball forward. The success rate of his passes last season was 84.3%. The Frenchman has proved how dangerous he is when he is with the ball. As a physically strong player,Ndombeleis also an outstanding dribbler who combines strength and technical ability well in every game.
Fellow midfielder,Dele Alli,has said he is excited to be playing alongsideNdombele.
With theEnglish Premier League2019/20 season set to begin on Friday, August 9, it appearsSpurshave found a rare talent inTanguy Ndombeleand look set to start on a high note.