The staggering fee Tottenham had to pay 27-year-old star after confirming contract termination

Tottenham had to agree to pay French midfielder Tanguy Ndombele a staggering £5 million for him to agree to terminate his contract, according to a report on Football Insider. He joined Spurs on a six-year deal from Ligue 1 side Lyon for a then-club record €60 million (£53.8 million) in July 2019.

He scored the first of his 10 goals in 91 appearances for the club on his debut against Aston Villa. However, struggles with form and fitness peppered his Spurs career before he re-joined Lyon on loan in 2022. Ndombele still had a year left on his deal with Spurs, but both parties decided to end their partnership on June 30.

The club is heading in a different direction and was forced to cut their losses after another disappointing loan spell with Galatasaray in Turkey last season. To do this, they had to agree to pay £5 million because he was on a £200k-a-week wage in North London. Finding a middle ground to pay the majority of his wages and create space in the squad was the decision they made.

What’s next for the talented yet unconvincing midfielder?

Reports in France say he could return to Lyon where it all started for him this summer, with others suggesting a move to Galatasaray could be on the cards now that he’s a free agent. When he first burst onto the scene, there were talks of him being better than Paul Pogba and the next N’Golo Kante, but since his big-money move, he’s just not been able to find his best form.

His next club move will be pivotal as there is no doubting his talent, even if he’s not shown it consistently since moving to England.