Here is your Tottenham morning digest for Saturday April 9.
Antonio Conte sends Harry Kane warning to rivals as Tottenham star shown Karim Benzema example
Antonio Conte believes that his Tottenham striker Harry Kane is only going to get better and he will be helping him along the way. After a sticky start to Spurs ' campaign, the 28-year-old forward has hit his stride in recent months with 14 goals and five assists since mid-December.
Having won both the Premier League Golden Boot and Playmaker awards last season, it seems Kane is reaching his peak as a striker and creative force, but the performances of Real Madrid's 34-year-old forward Karim Benzema and Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski, 33, suggest that age is no barrier to continued improvement. Conte believes that if Kane continues to look after himself off of the pitch then he can continue to improve, armed with the extra experience age brings.
"Don't forget we're talking about a player who has already shown to be a top class striker. In the past he scored fantastic goals. He was younger but despite this he scored in a fantastic way in every season," said the Spurs head coach.
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Tottenham learn exactly how much Paulo Dybala transfer would cost
Tottenham Hotspur, along with Arsenal and Chelsea, are reportedly set to battle it out for one of the most valuable free agents in the world this summer - Paulo Dybala. The Argentine playmaker is set to leave Juventus at the end of the current season with the expiry of his contract.
That means that he will be available on a free transfer, and having caught the eye in Serie A and the Champions League over the last few seasons, there is set to be a scramble for his services. According to CalcioMercato, Arsenal have already contacted his representatives over a potential move to the Emirates Stadium, whilst Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Inter Milan are all seemingly keeping a close eye on developments.
However, despite the Argentine being available on a free transfer in just a few months’ time, a swoop for Dybala’s services would certainly not be cheap by any stretch of the imagination. According to Salary Sport, his annual wages with Juventus were £11.5m - a fee that any interested parties would likely have to reach at a minimum.
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Tanguy Ndombele's rediscovery
It has been quite the week on the European stage for players deemed surplus to Antonio Conte’s requirements at Tottenham Hotspur. After Giovanni Lo Celso drove Villarreal to a win over Bayern Munich on Wednesday, there was an inevitability about Tanguy Ndombele making a significant contribution for Lyon away to West Ham United on Thursday night.
“Bon match,” was Lyon coach Peter Bosz’s concise assessment of the 25-year-old’s performance as he scored the equaliser to leave the Europa League quarter-final finely poised. Here was the man Tottenham paid £55million for to be a game-changer in the summer of 2019, still their player but changing games for the club they signed him from.
Perhaps the most notable aspect was how Ndombele, whose fitness was repeatedly questioned in north London, did not fade from the action. Yes, Lyon had a man advantage for the entire second half because of Aaron Cresswell’s controversial red card. And, yes, the pace of the game was slow for the most part as the visitors dominated possession. But that was in large part down to Ndombele dictating the tempo.
