Transfer News: Manchester United, Manchester City to battle Barcelona for Clement Lenglet

Manchester United and Manchester City are among a number of top clubs to reportedly join Barcelona in pursuit of Sevilla defender Clement Lenglet.

According to Daily Mail, Clement Lenglet seems to have earned a lot of admirers with his performances at Sevilla. The Frenchman was already on the radar of Barcelona and it seems the Premier League quartet – Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool – have joined the Catalans in pursuit of the defender.

Clement Lenglet arrived at Sevilla in January and soon established himself in the first-team setup. However, it is his start to the 2017-18 campaign that has people sit up and take note of the 22-year-old’s talent. The defender is yet to make his senior debut for France but judging by his career graph so far, it looks more a question of when than if.

Barcelona had been linked to Lenglet for a while now, since the closure of the summer transfer window. The Catalans have been looking to recruit another young centre-back to their squad and Lenglet, having already managed to establish himself as a quality defender in La Liga, could be the answer.

However, Barcelona are not the only club to enquire about the availability of the 22-year-old. Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United have all submitted enquiries for the Frenchman, who reportedly has a £28 million buyout clause inserted into his contract.

Manchester United’s interest does come as a surprise given Mourinho’s recent foray in the transfer market to sign Victor Lindelof, who seems to be finally hitting his stride at his new club. But, the Portuguese has recently been linked with a potential move for Jose Gimenez, which falls in line with this rumour.

Manchester City on the other hand, are genuinely looking towards a player who can man the backline for the long haul. John Stones is set to be one half of the pair while Guardiola is looking for his partner. The Manchester City boss has been scouring potential additions like Inigo Martinez and Virgil Van Dijk.

However, Lenglet will match Guardiola’s philosophy better. The 22-year-old is strong, technically adept when on the ball and has a good pace to back his abilities up as well – attributes that are the pillars of a Guardiola centre-back. Also, Lenglet’s pursuit might not be as complicated as the other potential targets in mind, with the player already having a release clause.

Lenglet could also be looking to move in January itself, with the player not having much of a chance to get ahead of his compatriots and making the World Cup squad in the summer. Sevilla are in a good position in La Liga so far and are unlikely to be in favour of letting the 22-year-old leave mid-season, which could throw their entire campaign in jeopardy.

With a release clause present though, the La Liga club does not have much choice and it will be up to Lenglet to decide between staying put at Sevilla or moving to a higher profile club. And just in case it is the latter, which one among the many suitors vying for him.

Manchester United and Manchester City are among a number of top clubs to reportedly join Barcelona in pursuit of Sevilla defender Clement Lenglet.

According to Daily Mail, Clement Lenglet seems to have earned a lot of admirers with his performances at Sevilla. The Frenchman was already on the radar of Barcelona and it seems the Premier League quartet – Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool – have joined the Catalans in pursuit of the defender.

Clement Lenglet arrived at Sevilla in January and soon established himself in the first-team setup. However, it is his start to the 2017-18 campaign that has people sit up and take note of the 22-year-old’s talent. The defender is yet to make his senior debut for France but judging by his career graph so far, it looks more a question of when than if.

Barcelona had been linked to Lenglet for a while now, since the closure of the summer transfer window. The Catalans have been looking to recruit another young centre-back to their squad and Lenglet, having already managed to establish himself as a quality defender in La Liga, could be the answer.

However, Barcelona are not the only club to enquire about the availability of the 22-year-old. Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United have all submitted enquiries for the Frenchman, who reportedly has a £28 million buyout clause inserted into his contract.

Manchester United’s interest does come as a surprise given Mourinho’s recent foray in the transfer market to sign Victor Lindelof, who seems to be finally hitting his stride at his new club. But, the Portuguese has recently been linked with a potential move for Jose Gimenez, which falls in line with this rumour.

Manchester City on the other hand, are genuinely looking towards a player who can man the backline for the long haul. John Stones is set to be one half of the pair while Guardiola is looking for his partner. The Manchester City boss has been scouring potential additions like Inigo Martinez and Virgil Van Dijk.

However, Lenglet will match Guardiola’s philosophy better. The 22-year-old is strong, technically adept when on the ball and has a good pace to back his abilities up as well – attributes that are the pillars of a Guardiola centre-back. Also, Lenglet’s pursuit might not be as complicated as the other potential targets in mind, with the player already having a release clause.

Lenglet could also be looking to move in January itself, with the player not having much of a chance to get ahead of his compatriots and making the World Cup squad in the summer. Sevilla are in a good position in La Liga so far and are unlikely to be in favour of letting the 22-year-old leave mid-season, which could throw their entire campaign in jeopardy.

With a release clause present though, the La Liga club does not have much choice and it will be up to Lenglet to decide between staying put at Sevilla or moving to a higher profile club. And just in case it is the latter, which one among the many suitors vying for him.