Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Darren Bent believes that summer signing Tanguy Ndombele is not part of Jose Mourinho’s long-term plans at the club.
[freshpress-poll id=”269548″]
Bent was assessing Spurs’ squad and where they could look to strengthen in the transfer window, highlighting the inevitability of Harry Kane’s injury which may force their hand in the January market.
However, he also feels that the defensive areas are more important at present, suggesting that the team could do with a powerful figure in defensive midfield.
That led to him telling TalkSPORT that Ndombele has failed to make his mark since joining from Lyon in the summer – and his limited opportunities under Mourinho suggest his manager may not be his biggest fan.
He said: “I think Spurs, in this window, they need to address [their striking options] and I’m sure Mourinho will do, but I think first and foremost, he needs to start back to front.
“They need to find some kind of legs at the back, [a] defensive midfield player, a big powerful presence, because we thought Ndombele was going to be the guy that could take that mantle and obviously he’s had injuries, he’s been in and out – and I’m not even sure Mourinho really fancies him.”
Of course, Mourinho was not the man to bring Ndombele to north London, with Mauricio Pochettino making the midfielder among his first signings for 18 months when paying Lyon a club-record sum of £53.8m for his services in July.
That certainly suggests that position has long been an area of concern for Spurs, though with Tottenham’s form dwindling in the current campaign and having a subsequent change of management, it seems Ndombele has not had a fair crack at becoming the answer for Spurs in midfield – especially having suffered injuries this season and spent time on the bench both before and after Mourinho’s arrival.
While their form remains inconsistent, perhaps the uncertainty over what is Mourinho’s best team will see Ndombele’s limited game time continue – though it seems the activity Spurs undertake in January could be a greater pointer towards where the manager’s priorities lie in terms of improving his squad and how the Frenchman fits in, if at all.
Spurs fans, should Ndombele be starting more often when fit? Let us know what you think below!
