- Tanguy Ndombele agreed to terminate his contract with Tottenham Hotspur in June
- The French midfielder has returned to Ligue 1 to regain his form and plays for Nice
- FOOTBALL AZ: Listen Now wherever you get your podcasts, or watch them on YouTube. New episodes every Wednesday
Tanguy Ndombele is convinced he has made the right decision by terminating his contract with Tottenham and wants to settle his deal with Ligue 1 club Nice.
The French midfielder left Tottenham Hotspur in June after agreeing to terminate his contract despite having a year left on his deal.
Less than a month later, Nice signed Ndombele and after a difficult few years in football, the 27-year-old will be hoping to regain the form that earned him a move to North London in 2019.
After just three games into the season, Ndombele is already showing his talent again, but his resurrection in France has only just begun.
“Returning to France was the right decision,” Ndombele said Brand‘I’m at a point in my career where I have to play.
Tanguy Ndombele (left) seeks redemption at Nice after poor 2023-24 season at Galatasaray
The 27-year-old left Tottenham this summer after five years in which he played 91 games
‘I still have a lot to prove and besides playing well I also want to rediscover certain sensations.’
The midfielder made 91 appearances for Tottenham, scoring 10 goals and providing 9 assists during his five years at the club.
However, after a bright start, Ndombele, who signed for £63million, was loaned out to his old club Lyon, Napoli and Galatasaray on a number of occasions.
His time in Turkey was a real low point in the midfielder’s career, with him playing just 664 minutes in 26 games for the Istanbul side.
Ndombele also became embroiled in a major row with manager Okan Buruk for being more than six kilos overweight.
He was reportedly caught swapping a strict diet for less nutritious foods, such as burgers and chips.
However, Ndombele has lost a lot of weight during his time at Nice and he is confident that he can get back into shape here.
He added: ‘I’ve had some tough times but that doesn’t mean I won’t play abroad anymore. I try to learn from the bad.
“People forget that we are human beings, not robots. I may not be the player I was, but I can still be a good player.”
Ndombele was considered too heavy by Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk when he was loaned to Turkey
But Nice sporting director Florian Maurice is confident that Ndombele can find his best form again
His return to Nice sees Ndombele reunite with sporting director Florian Maurice, whom he knows from their time at Lyon.
Maurice still has faith in Ndombele and is optimistic that the midfielder will shine again in Ligue 1.
“I’ve known him for a long time and I trust him,” Maurice said. “I know what he can do and what he can’t do.
“He needed a healthy environment to put his best foot forward. He’s not there yet, but he’s on the right track.”