Lyon midfielder Tanguy Ndombele has confirmed that Manchester City tried to sign him in the summer but his club rejected the Premier League side’s approach.

Speaking on French TV, the 21-year-old said he was happy to stay at Lyon and continue his development in the first team:

“I could have left but the club were resolute, they didn’t want me to leave. I didn’t feel inclined to leave. Now I think it was the right decision for me. I play a lot of games and I’ve been called up to the national team.”

Ndombele impressed in both group games against City in the Champions League and could well be targeted by the Manchester club again following rumours that they may have missed out on Ajax midfielder Frenkie de Jong.

Reports in the Netherlands in recent days have suggested that Paris Saint-Germain are poised to seal a £67m deal for the Dutch international despite the player being heavily linked with a move to the Etihad Stadium.

Manager Pep Guardiola is said to be frustrated that a move for de Jong was put on hold after reportedly holding face to face talks with the Dutchman to convince him to move to England.

City’s concerns over breaches of UEFA Financial Fair Play regulations may have played a role in their hesitancy in recruiting the Ajax midfielder, and it will be interesting to see if a move for Ndombele is curtailed for the same reason.