Serie A giants Napoli will reportedly look to beat West Ham United to the signature of 29-year-old Barcelona outcast Clement Lenglet this summer.
According to a report by Spanish outlet SPORT, Clement Lenglet is the subject of interest from Napoli. Antonio Conte wants to reunite with the Barcelona outcast in the summer transfer window. Meanwhile, the 29-year-old centre-back is also a target for West Ham United, although the Hammers have gone cold on his trail.
Clement Lenglet and his Barcelona struggles
Clement Lenglet has seen his progress come to a grinding halt in recent seasons. The Frenchman has spent the last two campaigns away from Barcelona, spending 2022/23 at Tottenham and 2023/24 at Aston Villa. However, another temporary departure might not be on the cards for the out-of-favour defender.
The 29-year-old managed only 2,071 minutes of game time across 25 appearances in all competitions for Aston Villa. Lenglet only featured for the West Midlands club when the first-choice defenders were unavailable. The Barcelona outcast’s long-term future is under the scanner heading into the summer transfer window.
Aston Villa briefly mulled over completing a permanent move for Lenglet but decided against it a few weeks ago. However, the French defender has his fair share of suitors, with the latest report by SPORT pointing to Napoli and West Ham United considering a bid in the summer transfer window.
What next?
Napoli’s interest in Clement Lenglet is understandable. The Serie A giants struggled at the back in the 2023/24 season after Kim Min-jae left the club to join Bayern Munich last summer. So, they are keen on signing a centre-back in the summer transfer window, with several candidates, including Rafa Marin, emerging on their radar.
As for West Ham United, the Hammers are also scouring the market for a centre-back amid uncertainties surrounding the long-term futures of Nayef Aguerd and Kurt Zouma. Lenglet has thus emerged as a viable target for West Ham, considering his experience in the Premier League in the last two seasons.
However, the Hammers have gone cold on his trail, with a summer move not set in stone. That gives an opportunity to Napoli, with the Partenopei looking to reunite the 29-year-old Barcelona outcast with Antonio Conte, who managed him at Tottenham in the 2022/23 season.
