Tottenham officials are ‘confident’ they will sign Tanguy Ndombele

Tottenham fans have permission to get excited. Club officials are ‘confident’ they will complete the signing of Tanguy Ndombele this summer.

Spurs fans are used to more than their fair share of transfer disappointment. It has, after all, been quite a while since Tottenham linked Lucas Moura. On the other hand, there seems to be significant optimism at Hotspur Way about the club’s chances to land their top transfer target this summer.

According to the London Evening Standard, Tottenham and Lyon officials are both “confident” that a deal will be struck for the transfer of Tanguy Ndombele in the coming weeks. No agreement is imminent, but the two sides are continuing to move closer and closer to an agreement. There’s always the chance for another club to swoop in and foul things up for Spurs, but at the moment, it looks like Tottenham will land the player they want to build their midfield around for years to come.

The current issue, of course, is a disagreement over the transfer fee required to complete the move. Tottenham are believed to have opened negotiations with an offer of £45 million. Lyon have responded with their belief that Ndombele is worth closer to £80 million. That does represent a sizable gap between the two clubs, but there’s plenty of interest from both sides in finding a middle ground.

That doesn’t mean anything is going to happen quickly. Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is a notoriously difficult negotiators. The same can be said for Lyon’s president Jean-Michel Aulas. The involvement of both men in these discussions likely will equal a painful, protracted period of negotiations.

Despite that fact, the optimism emanating from North London is telling. The idea that Tottenham officials are optimistic about their chances to buy a player who would smash their transfer record does seem to indicate a change in philosophy for Spurs. Even if the Ndombele deal falls through, it’s quite likely the club will move on to other high-profile targets. The acquisition of several talented players will be essential in the club’s quest to keep Mauricio Pochettino engaged for years to come.

At the very least, this is a transfer saga Tottenham fans should be watching with great interest in the coming days and weeks. Ndombele could easily end up as the club’s marquee signing of the summer.