Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet has reportedly popped up on the radars of Serie A heavyweights AC Milan and Inter Milan this summer.
According to SPORT, Clement Lenglet could be the first player to leave Barcelona this summer with the French defender attracting interest from several clubs across Europe. The 27-year-old has fallen out of favour at Camp Nou and is open to an exit, as long as his €10 million annual wage demands are met.
SPORT claims that he has received a proposal close to the terms he is seeking. It is not clear as to which club has tabled the offer, but the report adds that Lenglet is on the radars of many clubs, with AC Milan and Inter Milan the latest teams to show an interest in the French international.
Lenglet has completed four seasons with Barcelona, having joined the club from La Liga rivals Sevilla in 2018. The centre-back enjoyed tremendous success in his first two campaigns in Catalonia but has seen his stock decline over the past couple of years due to sloppy displays and the emergence of Ronald Araujo and Eric Garcia.
The 2021 UEFA Nations League winner is deemed surplus to requirements at Barcelona, with the club intent on offloading him to get his wages off the books. Marseille had been linked with Lenglet but have ruled out a move due to his lofty wages.
Tottenham, too, have been credited with an interest, with a two-year loan deal believed to be in the works. However, a move to north London also seems to be off the table for now as the Premier League club are unlikely to pay his massive salary. It has now left Italy as a potential destination for Lenglet, where Juventus have already shown an interest and have now been joined by rivals AC Milan and Inter Milan.
AC Milan, who won the Serie A title last term after 11 years, are looking to strengthen their roster to mount a successful defence of the Scudetto. With captain Alessio Romagnoli set to depart as a free agent, the Rossoneri are looking for a left-footed defender to replace the Italian and have identified Sven Botman as their priority target.
However, having encountered complications in the deal for the LOSC Lille ace, Milan are keeping their options open, with Lenglet emerging as a possible alternative. But, they will have to face competition from bitter rivals Inter Milan, who are also monitoring the situation of the Barcelona defender.
Inter are staring at the prospect of losing at least one of their three starting defenders as Milan Skriniar, Stefan de Vrij and Alessandro Bastoni are all linked with exits. While the latter might end up staying put, there are no assurances about Skriniar and de Vrij, forcing the Nerazzurri to look at replacements in the market.
Simone Inzaghi’s side have been linked with Real Madrid veteran Nacho, with Lenglet also being lined up as an option. However, meeting his €10 million per year wages could be an issue for both Italian clubs and it remains to be seen where the Barcelona star ends up in the summer.
