Wednesday 26 June 2019 15:54, UK
Tottenham have agreed to pay a club-record fee of around £65m for Lyon midfielder Tanguy Ndombele, Sky Sports News understands.
The 22-year-old France international will sign a five-year deal and is due to undergo a medical in the next few days.
Lyon reportedly told Tottenham that it would take a bid of £63m to buy Ndombele, who cost them £7m from Amiens last summer.
Speaking to French publication Telefoot last week, he said: "It's true that Tottenham are a great team - a big club. They finished fourth in their league, they were finalists in the Champions League.
"They are a big club like many others. Which player would not be interested in a big club?"
Ndombele had been on the radar of several other top European clubs, including Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus.
For Tottenham, Ndombele is the replacement for Dembele who went to China in January. Spurs started scouting for his replacement during the 2017-18 season.
They have used the money they earned from their Champions League final run, meaning any more big transfers will need to be funded by departures.
Sky Sports' Nick Wright:
'Ndombele is a central midfielder who combines power and athleticism with technical guile. He is adept at breaking up play with tackles and interceptions in front of the defence, but he is also forward-thinking. At Lyon, he has shown his creative flair, providing the same number of assists as playmaker Nabil Fekir last season and creating frequent scoring chances.
'His former coaches describe him as a tactically intelligent player capable of making an impact at both ends of the pitch while providing balance in midfield. He has only been playing top-flight football for two seasons having joined Lyon from Amiens in 2017, but his performances in last season's Champions League turned heads around Europe.
'Like Mouse Dembele, the player he will be replacing at Spurs, Ndombele is also an accomplished dribbler. In fact, last season, the only Lyon player to make more successful dribbles per 90 minutes was winger Bertrand Traore. That ability to carry the ball through midfield is another reason why Spurs are willing to break their transfer record in order to sign him.'
