Clinton N’Jie and Spurs – A match made in heaven?

It’s almost as if the papers are determined for Lyon to lose one of their key first-team players this summer. Nabil Fekir was heavily linked with a move away but then he signed a new deal. Then it was the turn of Samuel Umtiti until he put pen to paper.

If you believe the English press, Alexandre Lacazette has chosen to sign for Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal on about six different occasions this summer, but before the new Ligue 1 season kicked off, the French striker put pen to paper on a new deal… leaving Clinton N’Jie as the odd-man-out.

Super fier et heureux d'avoir prolongé !! L'aventure continue !! ❤️💙 #teamOL #LA10 #2019 pic.twitter.com/FYc8U8Kr06

— Alexandre Lacazette (@LacazetteAlex) August 8, 2015

The Cameroonian international only broke into the Lyon first team on a regular basis last season but given how well that side played it is no surprise that more or less every member of it is attracting attention from Europe’s top clubs. Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur are the team linked with N’Jie as they look to bolster their strike force ahead of the coming season.

Last season Spurs were worryingly reliant on the goals of Harry Kane but beyond the latest boy-wonder, there isn’t much in the way of attacking options at White Hart Lane. It seems they are looking to offload both Roberto Soldado and Emmanuel Adebayor and then bring in N’Jie and one more. Some may point out that N’Jie is not going to be starting ahead of Kane and they are quite correct, but that’s not the point.

Kane cannot start every game and in cup matches and the Europa League you would imagine that N’Jie would get his chance. Is that worth it though? Particularly when you consider that he would expect to start the majority of games for Lyon this season. In fact, he would probably play regularly in the Premier League, just not up front. So far Mauricio Pochettino has not strengthened in the wide areas and it would be safe to assume that Spurs see N’Jie’s immediate future on the wing as he adapts to the Premier League.

This makes a lot of sense because it won’t put too much pressure on N’Jie to hit the ground running straight away because the goalscoring onus will still be on Kane. Furthermore it’s not exactly as if he is going to be wasted on the wing. N’Jie boasts tremendous pace and already in his young career has shown the willingness to track back and help his defence out. In Pochettino’s system it is important that the team is ready to attack and counter-attack with pace and N’Jie can do that.

The one problem that might arise is that despite his dribbling talent he can be maddeningly frustrating with his end product. So often he will choose to shoot when the pass is the better option, and vice versa, and he will have to improve his chance creation if he is to join Spurs. Having said that, Pochettino has shown that he is willing to be patient with young players and help them develop their game.

On paper, the move would be positive for N’Jie. He’ll get a chance to shine in the Premier League with a manager renowned for his work with young players. Spurs get a player with the potential to become one of the best forwards in the league and with the ability to play anywhere across the front line.

But is it a good deal for OL?

Jean-Michel Aulas is looking for nothing short of €15 million, and although Lyon reportedly rejected the latest offer, anything around that figure would be beneficial to the French club. Yes, N’Jie does have a lot of potential, but by the same degree he has only had one season at the top and he could just be nothing but a one season wonder. In a summer where they have handed out a number of lucrative contracts, €15 million would help Lyon boost a squad that looks light beyond the starting XI.

Give fans the choice of going into the season relying on N’Jie but with loads of money from Lacazette or keeping the latter and making a nice amount of money from N’Jie – it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out what they would pick.

Extending Lacazette’s deal ensures they will maximise his fee when he likely moves on next summer – making €15 million on a raw, but exciting talent, is just good business now for Les Gones – and helps them fund moves for Mapou Yanga M’Biwa and Mathieu Valbuena.

Lyon make a profit, Spurs sign a potential superstar: it’s a transfer that makes sense for all involved.