Report: Barcelona looking at offering escape hatch to Tanguy Ndombele

How about a stupid transfer rumor to start your Friday? Here’s one from Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo that claims that Barcelona are (again) looking for a midfielder whenever the transfer window opens this summer, and have identified two potential targets: Napoli’s Fabian Ruiz, and Tanguy Ndombele.

We probably shouldn’t be surprised that Ndombele transfer links are already starting to pop up. Considering all the narrative that has been swirling around Ndombele and Jose Mourinho over Tanguy’s supposed effort and fitness levels this past season, it almost feels like an expected outcome that he’d be linked to one of the few clubs that could reasonably expect to afford to buy him from Spurs.

This makes Barca a pretty good club for a rumor like this — they have enough money that they’d be able to meet Spurs’ (hypothetical) break-even asking price, and they’re a club that could in theory use his unique combination of press resistance and dribbling ability. Also, Barca doesn’t seem averse to, as the article puts it, “fish in a troubled river.”

This is Mundo Deportivo we’re talking about — it’s not exactly a bastion of solid transfer news to begin with and even if you choose to believe it the article says that Barca would prefer Ruiz over Ndombele anyway. Plus considering that Tanguy is Spurs’ record signing I would be honestly shocked if Spurs were willing to dump him so quickly, and after an injury-blighted season.

Honestly I don’t think there’s much to go on here and I wouldn’t put much stock in this particular rumor for now. What you can expect is quite a few more rumors over the coming weeks and months about clubs willing to take care of our “Nproblembele” when the summer window opens.