PARIS (AP) – Central midfielder Tanguy Ndombele has returned to former club Lyon until the end of the season in a pay loan from English Premier League side Tottenham.
Lyon said it was paying Tottenham EUR1.42 million and it has an option to sign him on a permanent move at the end of June 2022.
The 25-year-old Ndombele played 96 matches for Lyon from 2017-19 and was in the French league team of the year before leaving to join Tottenham for EUR60 million.
But Ndombele, who has seven international caps for France, never fully settled at the north London club despite playing 91 games for Spurs and netting 10 goals. His arrival softens the blow of Lyon selling midfielder Bruno Guimaraes to Premier League side Newcastle on Sunday for EUR50.1 million and 20 per cent of any future sell-on fee.
Lyon made quick use of the cash influx by signing goal-scoring midfielder Romain Faivre from Brest on a four-and-a-half year deal.
Lyon said it paid EUR15 million for the 23-year-old Faivre with an additional EUR2 million in bonuses and 15 per cent of any sell-on fee.
Faivre scored 14 goals and provided 10 assists in 59 games for Brest after joining from Monaco.