Tottenham Hotspur’s transfer window has been far from busy, but one move that looked almost certain to go through was the signing of Marseille youngster Georges-Kevin N’Koudou, in an £11 million deal.
However a change in structure at the French club delayed the deal, and Spurs chairman then tried to alter the intricacies of the transfer, which didn’t sit well with the new management at Marseille. Levy attempted to lower to up front fee to around £4 million, rising to £11 million, the initial fee which had been agreed.
The collapse of the N’Koudou move is a massive blow for Tottenham, who believed they had found one of Europe’s best young talents for a relatively small fee. 21-year-old N’Koudou was brought into Marseille last summer for just £1 million from Nantes, and had the unenviable task of replacing Dimitri Payet.
Despite an awful season for the South of France club, N’Koudou shone, scoring five goals in Ligue 1 and 10 in all competitions. His raw talent is perfect for Mauricio Pochettino to mould, but his most desirable trait was his willingness to improve. Although not good enough to start for Spurs currently, he could have become a really important part of the squad this season. Sadly, he looks as if he may be staying in Marseille for another season.
Elsewhere, Spurs’ defender DeAndre Yedlin has been encouraged to leave the club according to former United States midfielder Stuart Holden.
US defender Yedlin signed for Spurs in 2014 from Seattle Sounders, but spent last season on loan at Sunderland, and is well behind Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier in the Spurs pecking order.
Despite rapid improvement at Sunderland, Yedlin is still too raw a player to be playing Champions League football, or starting every week for a side at the top of the Premier League table. He is renowned for his pace, but still lacks slightly in his defensive abilities, and this is unlikely to change watching from the stands at White Hart Lane. A move for the young American would certainly be of benefit to all parties.
Finally, reports in Belgium have suggested that Swansea are still keen on taking Spurs winger Nacer Chadli to South Wales, with little prospect of regular football at White Hart Lane this season.
Swansea are desperate for more attacking talent after losing star Andre Ayew to West Ham for £20 million, and the signings of Fernando Llorente and Borja Baston may not be enough to cover the loss of goals. However, Chadli has a very good goal scoring record for Spurs, bagging 11 times in in the 2014-15 season, where he was first choice winger.
Now, though, Chadli has found himself down the pecking order under Mauricio Pochettino, without enough consistency to nail down a place in the team. A move to Swansea could be exactly what he needs to reignite his career, but Spurs must be wary that their attacking midfield options will be significantly limited if Chadli were to depart.
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