Napoli are reportedly closing in on the loan signing of Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Tanguy Ndombele.
Having failed to make an impression during Antonio Conte's opening two months at Spurs, it has long been considered that Ndombele does not feature in the Italian's plans going forward.
Spurs had hoped that a loan spell at former club Lyon would lead to the French outfit being keen to sign Ndombele on a permanent basis.
However, the Ligue 1 side failed to take up that particular option, leaving the 25-year-old to return to North London with his future up in the air.
Having previously cost in the region of £55m, Spurs have had little interest in parting ways with Ndombele for a cut-price fee with three years still remaining on his contract.
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That has left clubs around Europe to contemplate putting forward loan proposals for the player with Villarreal and Galatasaray among the teams who have been linked with his signature.
Nevertheless, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Napoli have reached an agreement with Spurs regarding a season-long loan deal.
Romano adds that Napoli will possess the option to sign Ndombele on a permanent deal in 2023, although it appears that there will be no mandatory clause.
Should a transfer be finalised in due course, it may come as a relief to Conte who has allegedly kept four players away from the first-team squad, including Ndombele.
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Furthermore, Conte spoke on Friday about Spurs having to be smart with their transfer business, an indication that he did not want to overspend when a number of unwanted players remained on the wage bill.
Speaking to reporters, Conte said: "We improved in this way but I know I can't have everything quickly but it would be foolish to ask for a lot of players and spend a lot of money.
"We're doing the right things with common sense, not to spend the money on many players. Also this is not the politics of the club, I understand this. We have to go in the right way, doing the right things."
Sergio Reguilon, Harry Winks and Giovani Lo Celso are all expected to follow Ndombele out of Spurs before the end of the summer transfer window.
Darren Plant
