Manchester City are to set to rival Manchester United in the pursuit of Olympique Lyon midfielder Tanguy Ndombele; it has been claimed.
According to The Sun, Manchester City are plotting a £70 million bid for Ndombele, who has emerged as one of Europe’s top young midfielders this season.
However, the Sky Blues could face stiff competition from cross-town rivals Manchester United, who are also keen on acquiring the services of the Frenchman this summer.
Tanguy Ndombele: Just who Guardiola needs
Despite boasting the services of a host of talented midfielders, Pep Guardiola has lacked depth in the holding midfield role in the past couple of seasons.
Fernandinho is the only reliable option in that particular area of the pitch, and the absence of the Brazilian international has often forced the Catalan mastermind to rely on a different formation in order to accommodate the more attack-minded midfielders.
And with the former Shakhtar midfielder already nearing the final phase of his career, the addition of a new holding midfielder could be imperative for the Sky Blues this summer.
While Ndombele may not be a like for like replacement for Fernandinho per se, the Frenchman can offer more fluidity and urgency in the City midfield.
The 22-year-old is known for his all-round qualities in the centre of the pitch, particularly his tenacity and aggression that allows him to pressurize the opposition ball-carriers, restricting them time on the ball.
In addition, Ndombele is blessed with immense technical quality, allowing him to rotate possession at a quick rate, which, coupled with his aggression and tenacity, helps him initiate quick turnovers in midfield. He has attained an excellent passing accuracy of 88% while averaging 2 tackles per game.
However, what makes him an appealing target for the Citizens is his offensive skill set as the 22-year-old often tends to make driving runs from midfield while also having an eye for that defence-splitting through ball. Ndombele’s tally of over one key pass per game is quite impressive for a central midfielder.
Thus, the Lyon midfielder will be able to provide additional attacking support in the final third, which could be helpful with City regularly facing teams who prefer to keep ten men behind the ball.
But more importantly, the addition of the midfielder will offer Guardiola with more options in terms of his tactical choices in the final third – thus making him a tailor-made fit for the Premier League giants.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored
