Barcelona and Tottenham are reportedly locked in negotiations over a possible two-year loan deal involving 26-year-old French defender Clement Lenglet.
According to a report by Catalan outlet Esport3, Clement Lenglet is ready to leave Barcelona in the summer transfer window. The 26-year-old defender is not in Xavi Hernandez’s plans, and a two-year loan move to Tottenham Hotspur could be on the cards.
Clement Lenglet has endured a topsy turvy ride since joining Barcelona from Sevilla in July 2018. While the French international established himself as a mainstay at the back for the Blaugrana after a solid start to his stint at Camp Nou, his stock has steadily declined in the last couple of seasons.
The 26-year-old managed just over 1,000 minutes of action in 26 appearances across all competitions for Barcelona this past season. And Xavi Hernandez has deemed Lenglet surplus to requirements ahead of the summer transfer window, with Tottenham Hotspur his likely destination ahead of the 2022/23 season.
Tottenham will invest in at least one centre-back in the summer transfer window as Antonio Conte continues to oversee a squad overhaul at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. And signing a left-sided centre-back has emerged as a priority for Spurs, with Ben Davies on the wrong side of 30.
In addition, Japhet Tanganga and Joe Rodon face uncertain futures at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and will likely leave the north London club in the summer transfer window. So bolstering the central defensive ranks is necessary for Tottenham, with Barcelona defender Lenglet emerging as a viable target.
Recent reports had claimed that Spurs have been plotting a loan move for the 26-year-old, which makes sense, considering he will not come with a major liability. And it looks like Tottenham and Barcelona have made progress in their talks, with Barcelona hoping to send Lenglet to the English club on a two-year loan deal.
One would imagine that the two clubs might still need to iron out some details of the transfer before officiating it. But Lenglet is ready to leave Barcelona after initially hoping to stay put and fight for his place in the team. The French defender’s next destination is seemingly Tottenham, and it will be interesting to see if he can reignite his career at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.