Tanguy Ndombele’s Tottenham exit hangs in balance with key hurdle to clear for Mauricio Pochettino reunion at PSG

Tottenham's hopes of offloading Tanguy Ndombele to Paris Saint-Germain could depend on the Ligue 1 club being able to trim their squad before the transfer deadline.

PSG have held talks over signing Ndombele on loan until the end of the season, with head coach Mauricio Pochettino – who signed the Frenchman for Spurs – believing he would add much-needed quality to his midfield.

But there are concerns at PSG about the size of Pochettino's squad, with the Argentine already working with more than 30 first-team players.

The situation is particularly delicate because PSG can only register 25 players for the Champions League knockout stages, so they are keen to reduce numbers before pushing ahead with any deals.

PSG offered Leandro Paredes to Spurs as part of the Ndombele talks, although the midfielder is not of interest to Pochettino's former club.

Georginio Wijnaldum, Julian Draxler and Layvin Kurzawa are among the other high-profile players PSG are looking to move on.

Ndombele is keen on a move to Paris and there is a belief that Pochettino could be the right manager to get the best from the maverick playmaker.

The move is also appealing because of Ndombele's close relationship with Kylian Mbappe, who PSG are working hard to keep happy.

Spurs want his wages covered in full by PSG, which should not be a problem for the mega-rich Parisiens, with Ndombele thought to be earning much less than the widely reported £200,000-a-week.

Spurs also want an obligation from PSG to sign the 25-year-old on a permanent deal in the summer.