The incredible rise of Tottenham’s new signing

Tottenham Hotspur’s Tanguy Ndombele remains the side’s biggest-ever signing but five years ago he was too big to be signed by any club, he was otherwise sent away out of the same.

In 2014, the £65million midfielder’s career looked to have crashed and burned after he was released by Guingamp aged 17 for carrying too much timber but this week Ndombele, 22, etched his name into Spurs’ history books after Daniel Levy paid Lyon a club-record fee for the midfielder.

Since then, the references have been glowing. It is his strength on the ball that catches the eye, his explosive pace, positioning and ability to open up an opponent’s defence.

And yet in 2014, the France international thought his dreams of becoming a footballer were dashed after being released by Guingamp and although the French club recognised his talent, his attitude and weight were wrong for them to keep him.

Lionel Rouxel, then manager of the reserves, told L’Equipe: “It wasn’t a case of his potential being questioned, and he had a good mentality respectful but he seemed to be lacking the awareness to reach a high level.

His captain Sullivan Martinet said expectation was higher than reality.

He said: “He was nonchalant. He was so strong that we were expecting more from him, more consistency.

“He didn’t try maybe as much. He didn’t give the impression of always being 100 per cent.

“With hindsight, what harmed him was his behaviour off the pitch. We were less talented but we wanted it more than him.”

 Ndombele shot to prominence in Europe after starring against Pep Guardiola's Man City

After being dropped by Guingamp, Ndombele was offered a lifeline by Amiens in northern France while his manager Patrice Descamps recalled how the step down in class caused Ndombele to feel down.

Descamps said: “He was full of negative emotions caused by a gap between what he was hoping for and reality.

“He had to overcome this dark period, to forge a new mindset and a degree of willingness to learn that he had lost.”

But it was his upbringing, raised by deeply religious Congolese parents in a rough suburb of Paris, that helped Ndombele persevere.

After two seasons in the reserves, he broke into the first-team and quickly established himself as a talent helping Amiens to get a promotion into Ligue 1, then came French giants Lyon calling taking him on loan in 2017 with an option to make the deal permanent which was quickly taken.

And the rest of Europe quickly learned what a talent Ndombele was in last season’s Champions League making his presence felt at Etihad Stadium in September last year, where he was integral to Lyon’s shock victory over Man City.

The Frenchman showed expertise in midfield against Pep Guardiola’s usually dominant for but it is here where Ndombele can be a frustration for coaches.

While former Lyon coach Bruno Genesio said Ndombele can be “a new Paul Pogba”, he also questioned his consistency.

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