'Can this popularity make sense?' Tottenham's stomach is boiling

Despite being the one who broke Tottenham's heart, there is still plenty of interest in the transfer market.

'Nice, Lille and Marseille are interested in Tanguy Ndombele,' France's Football News France reported on Tuesday (KST).

Ndombele recently terminated his contract with Tottenham, according to an official statement from the club. Originally contracted to Spurs until the summer of 2025, Ndombele's poor form has shown no signs of rebounding and Spurs have decided to release him rather than sell him.

It was a costly move for Spurs. Ndombele's £65 million transfer fee when he joined Tottenham in 2019 is the club's all-time record transfer fee. With so many teams interested, Spurs' expectations were high.

It was not to be. Ndombele consistently underperformed after joining Tottenham, and his lack of commitment and issues with his subsequent loan spells at Spurs led to the club's decision to let him leave on a free transfer with one year remaining on his contract, having invested £110 million in him, including transfer fees and wages.

However, there has been a lot of interest in Ndombele since his departure from Tottenham, which has only added to the anxiety of Spurs, who let him leave on a free transfer, and the Spurs fans who are watching.

According to Football News France, 'Nice, Lille and Marseille are all interested in Ndombele. He is now free to negotiate with other clubs. A return to the Ligue 1 is currently the most likely scenario. Nice and Lille are interested, while Marseille can always take the lead in negotiations," adding that a number of top French clubs want Ndombele.

For Tottenham, it would be a bitter pill to swallow if Ndombele were to move to a Ligue 1 club. Furthermore, the disappointment of letting him go without receiving a transfer fee could be even greater. However, given Ndombele's recent form, it's hard to imagine him bouncing back in Ligue 1.