Needing a new club before the end of the January transfer window, Tanguy Ndombélé left Tottenham and signed for Lyon on loan for the remainder of the campaign.
Unable to find space under or convince Antonio Conte at Spurs, the France international desperately needed game time ahead of next summer and potentially the upcoming World Cup, which is why a return to France was sorted.
There was a feeling Paris Saint-Germain would be the ones greeting the Tottenham player come the end of January, but that didn’t happen, with Lyon swooping in following their sale of Bruno Guimarães to Newcastle.
It was a loan with an option to buy at €65m, although it remains to be seen if the Ligue 1 club can afford such a fee.
Regardless, the player, who already said he was happy to return to his former club, was presented to the media on Wednesday afternoon, where he had a bit more to say on the late exit from Tottenham.
He said, relayed by RMC Sport: “I’ve known five managers in two and a half years. It’s not their fault, but I struggled a bit at Tottenham. I wanted something else. Lyon, because I know it, it’s better to adapt.”
The midfielder then opened up about a potential move to Paris Saint-Germain, admitting he had options: “There were talks with quite a lot of clubs, but there was a gap between words and actions. I have three and a half months before the end of the season, and Lyon isn’t bad for me. I left through the front door, and returning is a risk. I took that risk.
“I think I’m a better player than when I left. I learned things in England, even if it didn’t go well. I’m better physically and mentally.”
As for a return to Tottenham: “It’s not over. I still belong to the club. I didn’t have pressure from the transfer amount.”
