BBC pundit says Tottenham player has lost so much weight and is ‘desperate to stay’

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Stephen Warnock has told BBC Sport that Tottenham Hotspur’s Tanguy Ndombele looks like he has lost so much weight.

Ndombele’s fitness levels were criticised last term, as he struggled during his first season at Spurs.

However, Jose Mourinho’s hard-line approach with the Frenchman really seems to have benefitted him.

Ndombele is now a key part of Tottenham’s line-up, with his performances over the early stages of the campaign catching the eye.

And Warnock said: “Tanguy Ndombele looks like he has lost a stone-and-a-half since I saw him last season. He looks in really good physical shape. He looks like he is covering ground better. Full of confidence. He wants the ball. He’s asking for the ball at every opportunity and wants to make things happen.

“There was talk of him leaving the club over the summer but he looks to have come back with a point to prove and looks desperate to stay.”

Ndombele’s importance to Tottenham was arguably highlighted yesterday, during their collapse against West Ham.

Spurs were 3-0 up at the point when he left the field, before they conceded three goals in the final 10 minutes after he was substituted.

While Ndombele may not have stopped Tottenham from collapsing single handedly, he could have offered them greater composure.

And given that his replacement, Harry Winks, did not cover himself in glory for Manuel Lanzini’s equalising goal, Mourinho may well regret bringing the 23-year-old off now.