Tottenham Transfer News: Marcelino Addresses Geoffrey Kondogbia Rumours

Valencia manager Marcelino has said Geoffrey Kondogbia will not leave the club this summer, amid persistent rumours Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool are eyeing a move for the French midfielder.

Kondogbia joined Los Che on loan from Inter Milan last summer and the Spanish club have an option to make the move permanent. There has been speculation they will use the option and sell him on for a profit, but as reported by TalkSport, Marcelino rejected that possibility.

When asked if Kondogbia would still be at the Mestalla Stadium next season, he said: "I know it for a fact."

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ESPN (h/t Calciomercato.com) previously reported Spurs plan on outbidding Valencia in the summer, although the clause would complicate such a move―if the La Liga club trigger their option, even Inter can't stop Kondogbia from joining them.

The 25-year-old has rediscovered his best form in Spain, and Marcelino is a huge fan, even suggesting he deserved to make the France national team over a high-profile team-mate:

With the clause sitting at just over £20 million, there's little doubt Valencia will make the loan move permanent. Kondogbia was a flop in Italy, but he has arguably been a team-of-the-year candidate in Spain, and his value has risen well past that number.

Yahoo Sport UK's Andrew Gaffney believes it's only increasing:

Valencia appear to be on their way to their first UEFA Champions League appearance in years, and those added funds would come in handy for the club.

Los Che's financial issues are well-documented: Their new stadium has been under construction for over a decade, and they still haven't found the money to complete the project.

Because of those issues, Valencia have been active on the loan market in recent years, securing plenty of deals that contained clauses similar to Kondogbia's. Not all of the arrivals were successful, but even when they were, Valencia rarely triggered the option because they could barely afford it.

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It's why Eliaquim Mangala returned to Manchester City last summer, and Munir El Haddadi's stay only lasted one season.

This should give the likes of Spurs and Liverpool hope. Both clubs have the kind of spending power to make Valencia an offer that is too good to pass up on―Los Che's scouts have proved they can find quality replacements if they have to.

Any offer would have to be significant, however, especially if the Spaniards qualify for the Champions League.