View from France: Tanguy Ndombele discontent shows he is not ready for top club

According to French outlet TF1, Ndombele has reportedly told Spurs boss Mourinho that he no longer wants to work under him. And similar reports have subsequently emerged from different sources at ESPN.

Talk has intensified of a rift between the pair, with reports that Spurs' £63m club-record signing is unsettled. Ndombele was an unused substitute in both of Tottenham's games since the Premier League restart.

It is not the first time Mourinho has overlooked Ndombele for selection. The Portuguese, however, defended the latest omission.

"It's not just him, I try to do the best for my team, I cannot start the game with 12 or 13 players, I try to do the best for the team," Mourinho said.

"Sometimes I apologise to my players that are not my first choice because I feel the work in training is something that deserves more than what I give, but I have to do my job the best I can and I felt for these two matches I didn't need him."

Yes, according to TF1 and L’Equipe (reliable sources), Ndombele wants to go and doesn’t want to play under Mourinho again. At the time of his transfer, Mauricio Pochettino played a huge role and the French player struggles to understand his current coach, who has been offensive sometimes with him in the media.

He’s a fantastic player, a box-to-box, very technical and very clever. His profile can be very useful for Tottenham but I imagine that his commitment to everyday life is not enough for Jose Mourinho.

He has many teams interested - PSG or Barcelona - but I see him playing better in the Premier League, because he has everything to be fantastic there.

Mourinho hasn’t been clever by putting him under the spotlight when he had difficulty. I think, it’s not the management Ndombele likes. And because of his huge transfer last year, there has been a lot of noise around him. But, let’s be honest, nobody will pay £60m for him this summer. Maybe more a loan with an option to buy.

That hefty price tag means a sale is unlikely, but a potential loan elsewhere remains an option. The player more often than not outlasts the manager, and how long Mourinho will stick around for remains to be seen.

Should he continue to be overlooked, chances are a new manager might see things differently. Mourinho, for the time being especially, does not seem keen on using the Frenchman, but he has changed his mind in the past with players he has had differences with.

In the current climate, insisting on leaving may not be the best idea, with teams having much less spare cash to spend in the transfer market. His immediate future may have to remain in north London, whether Ndombele likes it or not.