When Napoli took Tanguy Ndombele on loan from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer, they secured a buying option worth around €30m.
Italian clubs often do this when loaning players from the Premier League, but only very rarely do they go through with a purchase and pay the full amount. That was the slant on this loan, they’d take the midfielder from London and if he succeeded then there could be negotiations over the fee for a full transfer… the €30m wasn’t seen as being written in stone.
That’s partly why claims from Italy over Napoli consider paying that figure should be taken with a pinch of salt. Calciomercato report that whilst the €30m ‘seemed prohibitive’ in the summer, they could now really consider going through with a permanent deal.
Ndombele deputised for the injured André-Frank Zambo Anguissa against Bologna on Sunday. Napoli won the match 3-2 and are top of the table.
For the Tottenham owned played, his involvement came to an end after 71 minutes, the longest he’s appeared for his loan club. The 25-year-old will surely have to show he can be a regular starter to even make Napoli consider a permanent transfer… and it would still be a surprise if they just went ahead and paid the €30m.
That just isn’t what Italian clubs do.
