Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Tanguy Ndombele joined Napoli on loan earlier this summer and the Frenchman has had a difficult start to life in Italy so far.
According to Napoli director Cristiano Giuntoli, the midfielder is lacking in match fitness and he will have to be integrated into the side slowly.
The general consensus surrounding the midfielder is that he has failed to grab the opportunities presented to him by Luciano Spalletti so far and it will be interesting to see if the 25-year-old can prove his critics wrong and establish himself as a key player for Napoli this season.
Giuntoli has also confirmed that they have an option to sign the player permanently at the end of this season although the asking price is quite steep.
He said (via Tutto Napoli): “He is a bit out of competition. He has great qualities but we also notice that he struggles because he’s short of games. The manager must do well to get him into condition slowly.
“We had already dealt with him a few years ago. The good relations with Tottenham made it easier for us. If he’s fully fit, he can play in a midfield two. At this moment, in my opinion, he’s better in a three so you can divide the field with more players. I think he’s better to play the mezzala in a 4-3-3. There is a right of redemption with Tottenham, even if it is very high.”
Tottenham paid around €60 million for the midfielder back in 2019 but the transfer has been a disappointment so far. While Ndombele has managed to showcase his quality in bits and parts, he has struggled to establish himself as a key player for multiple Tottenham managers.
It was always clear that he is not a key part of Antonio Conte’s first team plans and therefore he was sent out on loan to get regular first team action at Napoli.
Apparently the player is highly rated by Spalletti and it is fair to assume that he will get plenty of chances to prove himself at the Italian club this season.
He is a top-class talent and he is still quite young. There is no doubt that he has a lot of time to fulfil his potential and it remains to be seen whether Spalletti can get the best out of him in the coming months.