Tottenham news: ‘It’s absolutely huge’ for Spurs to offload duo amid ‘toxic’ dressing room verdict – pundit
Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso’s Tottenham exits will be “absolutely huge news” for Antonio Conte and the club, according to Noel Whelan.
The former Leeds striker, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, claimed the 52-year-old Italian may have improved the “toxic” atmosphere at Spurs.
Tottenham confirmed the loan departures of Ndombele and Lo Celso to Lyon and Villareal respectively on transfer deadline day (31 January).
Football Insider was told by a Spurs source last month (24 January) that Conte had grown frustrated with Lo Celso’s inability to follow tactical instructions, as well as his lacklustre personal preparation for training and matches away from the club.
Rumours of a move have plagued Ndombele this term after the Frenchman asked to leave the club last summer (2021).
Whelan claimed it was “really important” that Tottenham managed to secure exits for the “disrespectful” duo.
“It’s just like with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, these guys are in the same mould,” he told Football Insider‘s Ewan Kingsbury.
“These players have shown a massive disrespect to the club and the fans. The fans will have been expecting so much more from players who cost the club a huge amount of money.
“It’s toxic when you have players like that when a manager like Antonio Conte is trying to bring that togetherness to the squad.
“It was really important for Conte that he got them out of the club. He’s wasted no time doing it. At the end of the day, it’s not just one manager who has had problems with these players. It’s now four.
“It’s absolutely huge news for Tottenham that they’ve managed to get them off the wage bill. Let the positivity begin.”
In other news, pundit suggests who is to blame at Tottenham for ‘dramatic’ Dele Alli ‘fall’.