Spurs fans know they need to sign a defensive midfielder in summer, and their defeat to Ajax on Tuesday proved this yet again. With that in mind, Tanguy Ndombele is one of Europe’s best and he’d be a perfect upgrade on Mousa Dembele.

Eric Dier doesn’t seem up to scratch, Harry Winks is not yet developed enough and Moussa Sissoko appears to have reached his ceiling despite a solid season. Their midfield is lacking a world-class defensive midfielder but, after that, the sky really is the limit.

Indeed, Ndombele’s performances for Lyon in this season’s Champions League, as well as in Ligue 1, have raised eyebrows right across Europe’s top sides.

Now AS, via Sport Witness, believe Spurs are interested in bringing him to London, and it’s no surprise.

In his two games against Manchester City this season, he proved he’s capable of taking on the role of firefighter when Lyon get caught in possession and also has the ability to make the press-splitting passes of an attacking midfielder. Frankly, this is perfect for Mauricio Pochettino.

With the wealth of attacking talent at their disposal, they want to be able to commit as many men to their attack as possible. With Ndombele potentially sitting behind, they’ll have the support they need to prevent being ripped open by teams like Liverpool on the counter-attack.

That kind of midfield base can help Spurs transition quicker, tearing teams apart themselves.

He’s rated at £45m on Transfermarkt, so he won’t be cheap, but at 22-years-old he’s the perfect long-term replacement and step up from Dembele.

If Spurs capture this man, expect them to challenge for the title next season.

Spurs fans, who do you want to start in the defensive midfield role next season? Join the discussion by commenting below...