Tottenham flop Ndombele a serious contender to replace Paul Pogba

Tottenham train ahead of Champions League trip to Marseille

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Loaned-out Tottenham star Tanguy Ndombele could be on the verge of a major milestone in his career comeback amid rumours that he may step up to replace Paul Pogba in France’s World Cup squad. Ndombele’s Spurs career hit a dead-end under Antonio Conte but he has found sanctuary during a season-long loan at Napoli. 

The Lilywhites spent big over the summer on the likes of Richarlison and Yves Bissouma, but Ndombele remains the club’s most-expensive signing of all time. A £65million move from Lyon in 2019 got off to a good start as he scored on his Premier League debut, but things went downhill from there. 

Conte’s appointment proved particularly harmful to Ndombele’s prospects of regular first-team football in north London, making just nine league appearances last term before heading to former club Lyon on loan. 

When it became clear that the Tottenham boss was in no hurry to phase him into the starting XI this campaign, the 25-year-old jumped ship during the summer transfer window by joining Napoli. 

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A mixture of appearances from the start and coming off the bench have helped nurse Ndombele back towards his best. Napoli’s high-flying form should also have worked wonders for his confidence as they sit top of Serie A, unbeaten after 12 matches, with their spot booked in the Champions League knockout stages. 

According to French outlet L’Equipe, Ndombele’s upturn in form has suddenly made him a ‘serious contender’ to be included in France’s World Cup squad. Selection for the reigning world champions is no mean feat, but injuries to Pogba and Chelsea star N’Golo Kante look set to help his cause.

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Pogba was one of the key figures during France’s 2018 World Cup win but he hasn’t played a single minute since signing for Juventus due to a knee injury, which is also set to keep him out of the forthcoming tournament. Kante, meanwhile, has undergone surgery on a hamstring problem that’s poised to rule him out of Didier Deschamps’ selection plans. 

It remains to be seen whether Ndombele’s potential involvement at the World Cup alters his prospects of forging a career for himself at Tottenham next term. Speaking last year, Conte hinted that the seven-times capped French international struggled to get on board with his tactical plans. 

“[Ndombele] is a midfielder,” the Italian told reporters. “I pay the same attention to every player and in every single session I pay great attention to every single player. My concentration is not only 12, 13 or 14 players for the whole squad.

“Then there are players that understand before, players that understand very well and then there are other players that need more time or could [find it] difficult to understand the situation.”

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