Lyon’s Tanguy Ndombele hailed as “The next Pogba” as Red Devils make him transfer target

Lyon standout midfielder Tanguy Ndombele has been hailed by his Lyon manager Bruno Genesio as “The next Paul Pogba”, meanwhile Man United have shown interest in the 22-year-old France international.

While Paul Pogba has been linked with a move back to his former club Juventus, Tanguy Ndombele is gaining the interest of several of Europe’s biggest clubs. Juventus, Tottenham, and Manchester City have been keen on the midfielder, with United being the latest side to make him a target for the summer transfer window.

Ndombele has made a name for himself quite rapidly with Lyon. He transferred to the French giants from Amiens in August of 2017 for just 2 million euros. Since then, he’s burst onto the scene as one of the most instrumental players on their squad. Playing mostly as a deep-lying midfielder, Ndombele has solidified himself as the ultimate playmaker who orchestrates everything that runs through the Lyon midfield.

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According to his manager Bruno Genesio, he has the qualities to be “The next Paul Pogba”.

"“He is strong physically and above all technically.”“Tanguy with the first touch manages to jump even three players and when he starts dribbling he is difficult to stop.”“He can play in any position in the midfield.”-Bruno Genesio"

The Frenchman even made his international debut with Les Bleus back in November, coincidentally coming on for Paul Pogba as a substitute against Iceland. He also came on as a sub against Germany, while also making his first start for his country against Uruguay.

He’s featured in 54 Ligue one matches during his Lyon career, tallying ten assists in that span. He’s yet to score a goal in league play, but Ndombele has added two goals in Champions League competition this year, including a stellar performance against Manchester City in the group stage where they beat the English giants.

Needs to add more of a scoring flair

His manager has said it as well, but in order to seriously grab the attention of top clubs, Ndombele will need to work on his finishing. At just 22, he is still very young and has tons of time to develop. His abilities in the midfield when it comes to passing and defending are already world-class, and he’s also very strong on the ball. If he can score 8-10 goals in a season, we’re looking at an all-around midfielder who will really be the next Paul Pogba or maybe even better in the future.

He already possesses all the necessary qualities to be a top midfielder. Ndombele just needs to improve in the final third. He’s got tremendous footwork and pace with the ball at his feet and carries the abilities to hold down the center of the pitch.

How he could fit in with United

Chances are Paul Pogba will most likely stay at Old Trafford considering all factors, but if the Red Devils were able to add Ndombele alongside Pogba in their midfield, they would be deadly. They’re both very technical and smart midfielders who would play well alongside one another.

Ndombele has the talent and athleticism to play anywhere in the midfield if he needed to as well. Even though he hasn’t shown a crazy ability to score, I believe it will come with time. Once he starts bagging goals, he will be in the talk as one of the most complete young midfielders in Europe.

It’s already exciting to see Ndombele play such a vital part in Lyon’s success this year, which is a huge testament to his importance to this side. His climb to relevance has been very inspiring, considering just a couple years ago he was playing for Amiens reserves team because he was reportedly “Overweight”.

Whether it’s Manchester United or another club, Tanguy Ndombele will definitely end up with a top team in Europe in the near future.

For now, the 22-year old will get ready to take on Barcelona in the round of 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday.