Barcelona are reportedly set to sign Clement Lenglet, who is seen as a long-term replacement for Gerard Pique, from Sevilla in a €35 million deal.
According to a report by Spanish publication Don Balon, Barcelona are set to complete their second transfer of the summer transfer window. Sevilla defender Clement Lenglet is closing in on his move to Camp Nou in a €35 million deal, with the Blaugrana eyeing him as a long-term replacement for Gerard Pique.
Lenglet has been one of the standout defenders in La Liga ever since he moved to Sevilla from Nancy in a €5 million deal in January, 2017. In fact, the Frenchman was one of the few notable performers in a season to forget for Sevilla. But, his stint at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium is set to come to an end after just 18 months.
That Sevilla managed to hold on to Lenglet for this long is in itself quite surprising, with Barcelona trying to sign him last summer as well. Heading into this summer’s transfer window, the player had been highly sought-after again, with Real Madrid and Manchester United among his suitors.
But, Barcelona have prevailed in the race to sign Lenglet, who is potentially a solid addition to the squad. Samuel Umtiti and Gerard Pique are the current first-choice central defensive partnership. Beyond the duo though, there is a real need of some quality reinforcements.
Yerry Mina has struggled to adapt to his new surroundings at Barcelona since his move from Palmeiras earlier this year. The Colombian is being linked with a move away from Camp Nou, with Everton a possible destination. Another young Brazilian, Marlon Santos is also rumoured to be on the exit trail upon returning from OGC Nice.
Should the duo depart, Thomas Vermaelen will be the only other option at Ernesto Valverde’s disposal. Lenglet is thus, a viable target for Barcelona, who see the Frenchman as a long-term replacement for Pique.
In fact, the report suggests that Pique will start getting phased out as a regular in the upcoming season itself. The fact that Lenglet, like Umtiti, is left-footed does not bother Valverde either, as he sees the duo as a long-term partnership at the heart of the Barcelona defence.
Whichever way it may be, Lenglet is destined to become a Barcelona player, with the Catalans set to pay his €35 million release clause. It will now be interesting to see if Lenglet indeed replaces Pique, in the immediate term or otherwise, and how well he takes to a bigger club.