Transfer Centre

Tottenham to lose record signing for nothing as contract termination 'agreed'

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter | 09 June 2024

Tottenham Hotspur reportedly agree to terminate the contract of all-time record signing Tanguy Ndombele, whom they signed for £52.7m in the summer of 2019.

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly agreed to terminate the contract of their all-time record signing, who is therefore set to depart the club on a free transfer.

Having earned his stars in Ligue 1 with Lyon, Tanguy Ndombele was the subject of a £52.7m move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer of 2019, becoming the Lilywhites' most expensive capture of all time.

However, under all of Mauricio Pochettino, Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo, Antonio Conte and now Ange Postecoglou, the Frenchman has failed to hit the heights expected of him.

Ndombele has recorded 10 goals and nine assists from 91 games in a Tottenham jersey, but his performances have left a lot to be desired, and he has not played for the club since January 2022.

Since his last outing in a Spurs shirt, which came in a FA Cup clash with Morecambe, Ndombele has been loaned back out to Lyon, who refused their option to buy him back on a permanent deal for the same price they sold him for, before stints at Napoli and Galatasaray.

Tanguy Ndombele pictured for Napoli in October 2022 © Reuters

Tottenham, Ndombele agree 'amicable' termination

The 27-year-old became a Serie A title-winner with Napoli in 2022-23 but was not a favourite of Luciano Spalletti, and his time at Galatasaray was a largely forgettable affair as well.

Ndombele only managed one assist in 26 matches for the Turkish side, earning a paltry four starts in the top flight and just one in the Champions League, playing 60 minutes of a 3-3 draw with Manchester United.

Galatasaray have unsurprisingly passed up on their opportunity to sign Ndombele on a permanent basis too, and the Frenchman is still tied down to Tottenham until the summer of 2025.

A sale appeared to be inevitable as Tottenham sought to recoup a small portion of the £52.7m, but according to Foot Mercato, the Lilywhites have now gone as far as terminating his contract.

The report adds that Tottenham and Ndombele have 'amicably' agreed to sever ties after five years, and in spite of his struggles, the midfielder should not be short of opportunities to advance his career elsewhere.

Ndombele termination marks end of terrible Tottenham stint

Tanguy Ndombele pictured for Tottenham Hotspur in April 2021 © Reuters

Among the 20 Premier League players who can currently claim to be the most expensive in their team's history, Ndombele is certainly one of the ones whose mega-money move will go down as a significant failure.

The midfielder did not put up incredible numbers while at Lyon, although managing seven assists in back-to-back Ligue 1 seasons in his early 20s was reason enough for Tottenham to shell out in excess of £50m for a man who had also forced his way into the France setup.

However, it did not take long for things to turn sour for Ndombele at Tottenham, and he was memorably the target of scathing criticism from Mourinho just before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Portuguese took particular issue with Ndombele's fitness levels, and the fans then turned on him in his most recent appearance in January 2022, booing him as he trudged off the pitch in their beating of Morecambe.

Now set to leave Tottenham for zilch - highlighting just how desperate the two parties are to be rid of one another - Ndombele's transfer will go down as a huge blot on Daniel Levy's transfer notebook.