Reports from France claim that Tottenham’s proposed signing of Georges-Kevin Nkoudou is at risk of breaking down.
Spurs are said to be concerned by the fact that Nkoudou has not been training while the deal has been negotiated. Marseille claim that this is merely a precaution to guard against an injury that could scupper the deal, but their insistence on signing Clinton Njie before letting Nkoudou go, has meant that the winger has missed a large period of crucial pre-season preparation.
Given the emphasis placed on fitness by Mauricio Pochettino, this could have repercussions on Nkoudou’s chances of being able to settle down quickly at the club. Though Njie’s visa has been approved for his move to Marseille, he has yet to receive it, which has held up the Nkoudou deal.
It’s claimed that Daniel Levy has used this waiting period to try and negotiate more favourable terms for Tottenham, including a clause to lower the price if Nkoudou succumbs to injury. This is said to have soured relations between the two clubs.
In recent days Spurs have been linked with a move for the Portuguese international Rafa Silva, who like Nkoudou plays on the left of the attacking midfield trident. This interest is surely not unrelated to the uncertainty that now surrounds Nkoudou’s future. The question is whether Rafa is being lined up as a genuine alternative, or as a mere bargaining ploy to hurry Marseille up.
I think we just need to get this N’Koudou deal wrapped up already and get Ante Coric in. Then we’ll be ready to compete. I cant help but feel that something big is coming though from a) the fact that Poch signed a new deal b) the smirk he gave to journalists when he said there would be more signings coming and c) this is a champions league year with extra cash d) as great as Jannsen, Wanyama and even N’Koudou are, they are squad signings for positions where we are already strong in our starting 11 e) Levy knows the marketing power of a good champions league campaign and f) I just feel there will be one “big signing” on the way a la Son last year.
I’m not a fan of N’Koudou, he’s no better than Njie and the whole deal seems a little odd so it wouldn’t surprise me if it did collapse. We won’t sign Coric but we could sign Tielemans he is a player that can play DM MC AM and AML, he’s the perfect fit for Spurs. Malli is another possibility.
I can smell a rat Reverse gear Get Silva
I prefer Rafa
I too smell a rat over NKOUDOU forget him if nothing happens by the weekend and now clear out Son, Chadli, Pritchard, and bring in Telliman and Silva. We also need another striker with sheer pace. Look at Leicester City now with their new striker. Sell Njie to Lyon.
A cynic might say that Levy is simply trying to lower the asking price on an already cheap player, but it s difficult to make such a case with the facts available. Interactions between clubs are often bogged down in details and renegotiation, and this is just another example. Tottenham s reported interest in Braga midfielder Rafa Silva is likely just another facet of this deal or another distraction. Tottenham chairman and chief negotiator Daniel Levy supposedly wasn t satisfied with that answer. Was Nkoudou being kept out of training due to an injury? Should Tottenham be worried about the fragility of their new player?