‘My job isn’t to convince players to play’: Tottenham manager Nuno Espirito Santo dismisses outcast record signing Tanguy Ndombele and tells him to fix up with no buyers likely to hit £51.5m price tag
- Spurs boss Nuno Espirito Santo says it is ‘not his job to convince players to play’
- Nuno said that Tanguy Ndombele must find his best form from ‘within himself’
- Nuno also said he would not be involved in their clash against Wolves on Sunday
- Ndombele is the only first XI player to have not played under the new manager
Tottenham manager Nuno Espirito Santo says it is ‘not his job to convince players to play’ and that Tanguy Ndombele must find his best form from ‘within himself’.
The 24-year-old has endured a tough time in north London since his club-record £55million move from Lyon in 2019 and could be set for an exit this summer.
Nuno has also confirmed that Ndombele will not be involved in Sunday’s Premier League visit to Wolves – making him the only first XI player to have not yet played under the new manager.
Tottenham manager Nuno Espirito Santo says it is ‘not his job to convince players to play’
When asked about the likelihood of Ndombele making an appearance on Sunday, Nuno said: ‘I will be honest with you. Tanguy is not going to be involved on Sunday.’
When pressed for an answer as to why the 24-year-old would not be included, Nuno added: ‘What I can tell you is that Tanguy is with us, he works but we have to speak honestly.
‘The best out of Tanguy has to come from himself. It has to come from himself. I don’t want to go much further than that but it has to come from himself.
The manager says that Tanguy Ndombele (above) must find his best form from ‘within himself’
Ndombele has not featured in any of Spurs’ games despite being fit and available for selection
‘I must speak to Tanguy before even addressing you. We already had a chance to talk but it must come from himself.
‘I said it before: my job here is not to convince players to play for Tottenham Hotspur, it is to prepare players to play for Tottenham Hotspur.’
The Frenchman didn’t feature in any of Spurs’ pre-season matches despite being fit and available.
The 24-year-old was also left out of the Tottenham squad that faced and beat Manchester City last weekend.
Nuno has also confirmed that Ndombele will not be involved in Sunday’s visit to Wolves
Ndombele has taken matters into his own hands and has told the club he is ‘open to leaving’
As a result, Ndombele is the the only fit senior player at the club to have not featured for Nuno despite being there for the whole summer after missing out on France’s Euro 2020 squad.
Therefore, as Sportsmail previously revealed, Ndombele has taken matters into his own hands and has told the club he is ‘open to leaving’.
However, Tottenham may struggle to find a buyer before the transfer window closes this summer.