La Liga heavyweights Barcelona are reportedly reluctant to sell 29-year-old out-of-favour French defender Clement Lenglet to Atletico Madrid this summer.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, Clement Lenglet is the subject of interest from Atletico Madrid. The Barcelona outcast has agreed to join Los Rojiblancos in the summer transfer window to end his nightmare in Catalonia. However, the Catalan giants are hesitant to sell the 29-year-old out-of-favour defender to their fellow La Liga club.
Clement Lenglet and his Barcelona horrors
Clement Lenglet has seen his stock plummet in the last few years. The Frenchman would have been overjoyed after his debut season with Barcelona, becoming the first-choice centre-back after arriving from Sevilla in July 2018. However, his stature steadily reduced in the following seasons before he became a peripheral figure for Barcelona in the 2021/22 season.
Barcelona loaned the 29-year-old to Tottenham Hotspur two years ago before Aston Villa came calling last summer. Lenglet’s first spell in England was more fruitful, as he managed only 2,071 minutes of game time across 25 appearances for Aston Villa, compared to 35 outings for the North London outfit.
The French defender has returned to Barcelona after his loan spell with Aston Villa, with the West Midlands club refusing to complete a permanent transfer. So, Lenglet has been in limbo in the last few weeks, with prospective suitors being few and far between for the experienced defender.
What next?
Barcelona mulled over terminating the Frenchman’s contract to get his wages off the books. However, Clement Lenglet turned down the possibility, even though he could have secured a signing-on fee with a free transfer to another club. Meanwhile, recent reports have linked him with Atletico Madrid.
Recent reports have painted a contradictory picture of Atletico Madrid’s interest in Lenglet. However, the latest update has revealed that the 29-year-old out-of-favour Barcelona defender has agreed to join Los Rojiblancos. But the Catalan giants are reluctant to sell him to their fellow La Liga title rivals.
Barcelona’s stance seems bizarre, considering they have been desperate to get the French centre-back off the books. So, it will be interesting to see if there is any truth to the latest rumour of Barcelona’s reluctance to sell Lenglet to Atletico Madrid.
