Lyon midfielder Tanguy Ndombele has claimed that rejecting interest from Manchester City last summer was ‘the best decision’.
The Frenchman’s reputation as one of the most talented young midfielders in Europe continues to rise and it’s reported that City lodged a £50m bid to sign him last summer.
Did France midfielder really reject Manchester City? Five things to know…
- Pep Guardiola has made no secret of the fact he’d like to sign another holding midfield player.
- Fred and Jorginho both turned down moves to City last summer.
- Reports in French media believed City also bid £50m for Ndombele.
- The 21-year-old has broken into the France squad this season and starred in both Lyon matches against City in the Champions League.
- He has taken part in every Ligue 1 and Champions League match Lyon have played in this term.
City, like many of Europe’s top clubs, continue to be linked with a move for the Frenchman.
The reigning Premier League champions have started the current campaign in fine form, but Ndombele feels he made the right decision in staying at Lyon for now.
“I could have gone, maybe things would have worked out well,” Ndombele told Canal Football Club.
“The club was firm, they didn’t want me to leave. I didn’t feel like leaving, and I think that today you can see that it was the best decision for me.
“Things are going well, I am playing a lot of games, and I am in the French national team.
“So, I think for the moment it was the best decision.”
When pressed on where he sees himself playing his football in the future, Ndombele claimed he has never dreamt of playing for a particular club in the years to come.
He did, however, hint that he could be open to a move to PSG.
“I don’t imagine how my career will go, I live it instead…” added the midfielder.
“When I was young I didn’t dream of being in this or that club (like PSG), whether it is Real Madrid, Barcelona, City, I have never dreamed of being in a specific club like that.
“Of course they are big clubs, I don’t close the door to anyone…
“They (PSG) remain one of the biggest clubs in France, I am from a Paris banlieue…”
How desperately do City need another midfielder?
When people think of Manchester City’s squad, they think of the embarrassment of riches they have in so many positions across the pitch.
However, 33-year-old Fernandinho is actually the only natural fit for the No. 6 role in their squad as it stands.
As good as the Brazilian is, that’s not ideal. The likes of Fabian Delph, Ilkay Gundogan and John Stones have filled in for him at times, but it’s clear that Guardiola would like another player in this position.
It looked as if that man was going to be Jorginho for some time, only for Maurizio Sarri to lure him to Chelsea.
Ndombele, Ajax’s Frenkie de Jong and Wolves’ Ruben Neves are the three players that have been most strongly linked with occupying this role in recent months.
It remains to be seen whether City will dip into the market to address this issue in January.
The post Ndombele: Rejecting Man City was the best decision appeared first on Squawka News.
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