Speaking to Football Insider, former BBC Radio Leeds pundit Noel Whelan has been left thrilled by 'huge' news for Tottenham Hotspur after both Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso completed moves away.
The Lowdown: Tottenham agree loan deals...
After much negotiation in the final stretch of the January transfer window, with Ndombele in particular linked with an exit all of last month, Spurs transfer chief Fabio Paratici managed to agree moves away for the pair.
Tottenham's club record signing Ndombele has agreed a temporary switch to Lyon for the rest of the season, with the Ligue 1 giants paying a £1.2 million loan fee and having an option to make his move permanent for £54 million (Sky Sports).
Meanwhile, Lo Celso has agreed a similar deal with Villarreal - again joining the club on loan as the Spanish side also possess an option to buy (The Athletic).
Reacting to these developments, Whelan has called it 'huge news' for Tottenham.
The Latest: Whelan raves over 'huge news'...
Speaking to Football Insider, the former Leeds striker says that removing both men from Antonio Conte's dressing room is a big boost - not to mention getting them off the wage bill.
"It’s just like with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, these guys are in the same mould,” he told Football Insider‘s Ewan Kingsbury.
“These players have shown a massive disrespect to the club and the fans. The fans will have been expecting so much more from players who cost the club a huge amount of money.
“It’s toxic when you have players like that when a manager like Antonio Conte is trying to bring that togetherness to the squad.
"It was really important for Conte that he got them out of the club. He’s wasted no time doing it. At the end of the day, it’s not just one manager who has had problems with these players. It’s now four.
“It’s absolutely huge news for Tottenham that they’ve managed to get them off the wage bill. Let the positivity begin.”
The Verdict: Agreed...
Lo Celso and Ndombele's salary off the table is certainly a financial boost for Spurs and the removal of their presence in the dressing room is definitely another positive.
The latter man has always been at the centre of question marks surrounding his attitude and application, meanwhile Spurs insider John Wenham has 'heard' that Lo Celso's attitude was just as bad behind the scenes.
As Conte aims to guide Tottenham into a new era, building a foundation for success, he cannot afford potential disruptors at Hotspur Way.
In other news: Tottenham table new contract for 'top' player after he blew Nuno away, find out more here.