Spurs fans woke to the news this morning that the club are honing in on the signing of Georges-Kevin Nkoudou from Marseille.
Tottenham will pay in the region of £10.9m plus bonuses for the pacy left-winger who is also able to play on the right. Reports claim that the deal is 99% done. Mauricio Pochettino is said to have convinced the player to sign over a phone call last week.
The club were linked with Marseille’s Michy Batshuayi for much of the summer and have switched their attention to another of the financially-crippled club’s brightest prospects, after the Belgian striker moved to Chelsea. Spurs fans with long memories may consider this revenge for the pain caused when Marseille raided us in 1989 for Chris Waddle, at a time when we were heading towards bankruptcy.
Meanwhile, Clinton Njie looks set to return to France with a loan move to Marseille that includes an option to buy at the end of the season.
A loan deal for Njie will have surely smoothed the way for the signing of Nkoudou, with Marseille getting the money they need to survive, while also gaining a replacement player who is proven in Ligue 1.
Njie was unfortunate that injuries prevented him from getting much of a chance to establish himself at White Hart Lane last season. Though very raw, Njie showed flashes of quality that suggested that he could have a future in the Premier League.
Yet at a time when the club now have aspirations to win the title and are involved in the Champions League, Njie’s potential has been sacrificed to sign Nkoudou – who Pochettino and his staff clearly consider to be the more finished product. There is clearly little room for sentiment at Tottenham these days, as Pochettino strives to build upon the giant steps already taken.
Sounds like we are signing an upgraded Aaron Lennon. Will we play traditioonal wingers in a 4-4-2 or maybe with davis and wimmer recent form maybe a 3-2-3-2 wimmer alderwielder dier/davies wanyama and dembele Georges-Kevin Alli Lamela/Ericksen Kane Jansen/Son after Olympics
Good player but Sofiane Boufal is far better quality than Nkoudou.. I follow the French League..
Hope he turns out better than Clinton but I feel he didn’t get a real opportunity at spurs ! I have to wonder if this kid was potentially something special Marseille would hold out for more that 10 million ! Having said that Alli only cost us 5 million I suppose
Marseille are skint so they can’t hold out for top $….except where continuous over-spenders Chelski were concerned!
Great @ last letting N’Jie GO,who can’t beat defenders,cross or score goals,even before injury;@ 14 Million wasted money & hoping new signing works out!
Likely more to Clinton’s release than football – all about physcological profiles and how the team gels these days. We don’t really know what goes on behind the scenes and sometimes a player’s personality just doesn’t fit, just like in any other job. Best thing to do – move on!
Some of the comments here are astonishing!
“maybe a 3-2-3-2 wimmer alderwielder dier/davies”
so, you’d have Verts on the bench would you?
And instead either
1) move Dier from the role he has made his own? He only got through the season with a machine like effort (hence Wanyama coming in to rotate and rest, and also provide options playing alongside).
2) play a wingback ahead of him, all be it he played that role in Euros? At this time, your building a team that then has no wingbacks, so Walker, Rose and Trippier have no purpose – instead, the wingback we have that I personally think is the weakest of the 4 is a CB.
That really doesnt make any sense does it? Son also will not play as a striker this season. At all. Whatever formation.
Others kicking N’Jie, you even think about this?
The young lad joined a well drilled team that know each other very well, coming from a promising season in France for Lyon. He’s played around 380 first team minutes for Spurs, in a side that has been playing alongside Kane and therefore knowing his runs, movement, positioning etc.,
You expect that within that time both the Team get to understand his runs positioning etc., and also N’Jie to adapt to the English game, along with settling in a new country away from his family and friends? And deal with getting injured, and also hearing rubbish like what you guys have put. Give the lad a chance will you.
You amongst the lot that wanted rid of Lamela also? He needed a little time to settle, had great season. The best is yet to come from him, and he’ll be next level this coming season, mark my words.
I’m not saying N’Jie has been special for us, but I am saying you expect far too much. A season on loan back to France with Marseille would make a lot of sense, as long as it doesnt carry a right to buy with it. Would give him a chance to rebuild his confidence and comfort back in France before returning and proving he can give us options.
Well said! ? Knows his stuff
Tell me about it!! I’ve seen other articles where Dembele is dropped – one of the most gifted players in his position…really??
I love my team but seriously, sometimes my fellow supporters freak me out!!!
Sofiane Boufal is is the better left winger than Nkoudou to be honest.. I am Spurs till i die fan and i follow the french League..
Keep clinton please nd buy nkoudou..We need all the pace we can get nd I feel pochettino should add one more Cb..to sum it all up I believe in clinton nd possibly the new buy nkoudou. Spurs are on the up because I believe with preseason games coming up the squad would be a to bond well because last season if you notice the two players that pochettino bought before preseason nd also played during the preseason (tripps alli alderwierrld wimmer ) did better than the ones who came when the season was almost starting (son njie) ..so honestly I believe spurs can dominate the league next season with the good finishing of kane nd janssen the strength of wanyama dier nd demebele nd the speed nd technicality in eriksen dele lamela njie walker nd possibly nkoudou. .#ibelieveinmyspurs COYS
There is a rumour that Njie is unsettled in the UK and wants to return to France, maybe that is the case and spurs have just covered all eventuality,s the fact that they are still looking for attacking personnel seems to confirm that NKoudou will not be the last winger in, but who leaves ????