Offloading Clement Lenglet was one of the major targets for FC Barcelona coming into this summer transfer window. Reaching the last three days of the transfer window, this target has still not been met.
Clement Lenglet has been out of favor at Barcelona for several seasons now and also spent the last season on loan at Tottenham. He was linked with Spurs with a permanent move throughout the summer as well, but this move never materialized.
Aston Villa now the favourite to sign Lenglet
Now, an unexpected turn has taken place in this Lenglet saga. As Mundo Deportivo reports, another Premier League side, Aston Villa, are now emerging as the favorite to sign the player on loan, while also having a purchase option.
The Frenchman is currently studying this option and intends to decide on this as soon as possible, especially with the very little time left in the transfer window. Lenglet and the Aston Villa coach, Unai Emery, know each other very well, although they did not work together at Sevilla. The defender joined Sevilla only after Emery had already left the club in 2016.
Several options open to Lenglet
The report further mentions that Lenglet liked his time in England that he spent on loan at Tottenham last summer, and is open to playing in the Premier League once again. Tottenham was once again his preferred destination, but Aston Villa also intrigues him, and he can end up accepting this option.
A number of clubs in La Liga had also been interested in getting Lenglet on loan previously, including his former side Sevilla and Real Betis. However, the high wages of the Frenchman make him an impossible addition for these clubs, especially as Barcelona do not want to keep any portion of his wages going forward.
The defender was also offered a letter of freedom from the Catalan club, but he did not accept this. Tottenham were initially in agreement with the player for a move but were unable to come to terms with Barcelona as they wanted to pay only a token fee. There was also interest from Saudi Arabia in the player, but Lenglet wanted to keep playing in Europe and rejected their advances.
