According to latest reports, Manchester City have joined a host of European clubs for the signing of Olympique Lyonnais midfielder, Tanguy Ndombele. The 21-year-old has a release clause of €8m in his current contract and is also being sought out by Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus.
Ndombele played a remarkable 50 games for the Ligue 1 outfit the last term to score once and assist a further 8 times. He took to the pitch with the hunger and determination to win every ball in midfield while also helping out the team in launching attacks.
He has a deft touch on the ball and is hard to knock off possession. Standing at 5 feet 11 inches, the defensive enforcer has also shown his maturity and composure at such a young age.
He has been capped 9 times for the France U21 team and judging by his recent stints, a move to the Premier League will certainly help his chances of senior team selection. Ndombele can come into the Etihad as an able backup for the 33-year-old Fernandinho.
Pep Guardiola has relied heavily on the Brazilian this past season to hold the anchor position in midfield. Not only has Fernandinho held his own on a consistent basis, City currently does not have a like-for-like replacement at the side.
Ilkay Gundogan can appear from deep positions but is more impactful on the offensive end. David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva are attacking midfielders who generally appear in front of Fernandinho. While Fernandinho might be fulfilling Pep’s needs at the moment, it is only a matter of time before the impact of a full season starts to take a strain on the veteran’s legs.
City found themselves in a rough spot when Leroy Sane went down to an injury earlier in the season. Luckily they ensured that they passed the rest of the campaign without any major obstacles but such might not be the case in the near future.
Guardiola is right to demand more additions to an already star-stacked squad if he is further the trophy cabinets at the Etihad. Ndombele also has the years in front of him to grow into the needful demands of top-flight English football.
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In the current market, €8m is a steal and City have deep enough pockets to take a gamble on the French youngster.
