Report: Marseille brass change explains Spurs' N'Koudou delay
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Nearly a month after speculation surfaced linking Marseille winger Georges-Kevin Nkoudou with a certain move to Tottenham, the protracted nature of the transfer has been blamed on Olympique's executive power shift.
Related: Tottenham reportedly nears £10.8M deal for Marseille's Nkoudou
In mid-July, Marseille president Vincent Labrune announced his resignation, prompting the appointment of Giovanni Ciccolunghi and sporting director Gunter Jacob from Gent.
Those changes paired with Marseille manager Franck Passi's insistence that Nkoudou's void be filled by Spurs fringe forward Clinton N'jie, according to a report from Sky Sports.
Related: Marseille names Giovanni Ciccolunghi president
Passi demanded at worst a loan for N'Jie, and the former Lyon attacker agreed to the move only for Marseille to replace its brass two days later, further delaying the transfer.
With less than a month until the Premier League transfer window slams shut on Sept. 1, both Nkoudou and Njie languish in footballing limbo, unsure of where they'll ply their trades next season.
The perfect complement to Michy Batshuayi at Marseille, Tottenham is hoping Nkoudou can have the same influence on star striker Harry Kane.
Nkoudou enjoyed a breakthrough season at the Stade Velodrome, pairing nine goals in all competitions with five assists as one of a few bright spots amid a dismal campaign for Marseille.
The 21-year-old Versailles-born player cut his teeth in the Paris Saint-Germain youth academy before making his first strides in professional football at FC Nantes. Nkoudou joined Marseille from the Pays de la Loire region last summer for a bargain £1 million.