Tanguy Ndombélé Looks to Get Career Back on Track at Nice

Tanguy Ndombélé has returned to Ligue 1 this season, having joined OGC Nice as the midfielder looks to get his career back on track. Through five matches, the 27-year-old is showing the form that made him a wanted commodity in his first stint with Olympique Lyonnais.

Ndombélé burst onto the scenes with Amiens playing from 2016 to 2018, and afterward, he moved to Lyon, where he became a household name. The Frenchman spent two seasons with OL, making 50 total appearances in 2017-18 and 49 total appearances in 2018-19.

This success in the league also led to the midfielder making his debut with France’s national team in October 2018, appearing in seven matches.

Like many young Ligue 1 talents, when there's success, the suitors come calling, and in 2019, the midfielder moved to Tottenham Hotspur. Ndombélé was in North London from 2019 to 2022.

In 2022, Ndombélé went on a series of loan spells, starting with a return to Lyon, where he first made his mark, followed by stints at Napoli and Galatasaray. Unfortunately, none of these moves helped revive his career.

After terminating his contract with Spurs, Ndombélé signed with Nice and explained why he returned to France.

“I wanted to come back to France where I feel more at ease. I am in a period of my life where I want to play. I am coming off the back of multiple difficult seasons. I arrived tired. Coming here, I trained on my own […] abroad was hard but it is a part of my story.”

Director of Sport at Nice Florian Maurice noted how the club attempts to put Ndombélé in a position to succeed and show the talent that thrived during his first stint with Lyon.

"Tanguy is a special player. It's up to us to give him the ideal framework to fully show his qualities. He knows what it's like to play at the highest level. He fits perfectly with the profile we're targeting and he's in the prime of his career. He worked hard before joining us and is very determined. Our objective is to perform well in all competitions. To do that, we need players of his calibre."

Although it's only five appearances with Les Aiglons, Ndombélé is off to a good start with one goal and one assist. Nice will have many games domestically and internationally, so the midfielder will have opportunities to take advantage of his playing time.

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