Antonio Conte’s transfer wishes have been granted at Tottenham Hotspur this summer with six new signings walking through the doors in north London - but the Italian is keen for further reinforcements to his side.
However, it is also time to start moving on some of the deadwood in order to free up space for more potential additions. A number of players have been made available for transfer, including midfield duo Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele.
And Villarreal are understood to be close to re-signing Lo Celso on a permanent deal, but it has also been revealed that a potential swap deal involving Ndombele is on the cards, meaning Spurs could be set for a player in return.
According to Spanish journalist Xavi Jorquera Marquez, via SportsMole, Spurs are open to parting ways with the Frenchman to Villarreal over the coming weeks and the two clubs have spoken about potentially using Ndombele in a swap deal involving left-back Pervis Estupinan.
Ndombele has been deemed surplus to requirements at Spurs since the turn of the year and spent the second half of last season out on loan at former club Lyon, where he recorded one goal and two assists in 14 appearances. However, they opted not to take up their option to buy the player for €65 million (£54.5 million) at the end of his temporary spell.
Ndombele has since returned to Spurs, but following the arrivals of Rodrigo Bentancur in January and Yves Bissouma this summer, he has dropped further down the pecking order and is fully expected to depart after being made available for transfer, with Spurs keen to recoup some of the £63m they splashed out on him in 2019.
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He could now be on his way to Villarreal, with the Yellow Submarine keen to recruit in that area of the field with the highly-rated Estupinan possibly heading the other way to reduce the size of the transfer fee.
Estupinan was on Watford ’s books from 2016-2020 but failed to make a single appearance for the Hornets after spending four consecutive seasons out on loan in Spain with Granada, Almeria, Mallorca and Osasuna, before signing a seven-year contract with Villarreal two years ago for an initial fee of £15million.
The Ecuador international has since made 74 appearances in all competitions for Unai Emery’s side, recording four assists, and was part of the team that made it to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals last time out, although there are doubts over whether Spurs actually need him, with Ryan Sessegnon and Ivan Perisic already covering that position.
But with Sergio Reguilon predicted to also leave the club this summer, Spurs may opt for Estupinan to be his replacement, with Conte keen to have plenty of depth in his squad ahead of a busy season in which they make their return to the Champions League and look to compete for domestic silverware.
Should the deal go through, then it will bring an end to Ndombele’s underwhelming time in north London, which could see him join Lo Celso in departing the club for the Spanish outfit as the Argentine also edges closer to a return to Villarreal.
Spurs and Villarreal have been holding negotiations regarding a potential move for the 26-year-old, who starred during his four-month spell at El Madrigal with 21 appearances, and as reported by Todofichajes, is now expected to rejoin them on a season-long loan deal with an obligation to buy.
