One of the players owned by FC Barcelona but playing this season on loan in England, Clement Lenglet, has been frequently discussed in the media recently.
Having joined Aston Villa on loan in the last summer transfer window, the French defender had been unable to make an appearance in the Premier League till a few days ago. However, Unai Emery had used him well in the UEFA Conference League, mainly to rest his starting center-back Pau Torres.
Because of his rare involvement with the first team in England, it was reported that both Barcelona and the player himself are keen on transferring him to another club for the second half of the season. AC Milan had emerged as one of the clubs interested in such an operation.
However, as SPORT has reported, the defender played his first minutes in the Premier League yesterday, and Lenglet took this opportunity to impress his manager. Sheffield United did not threaten the Villa goal much, so Lenglet played the majority of the match in the opposition half.
As a result, he impressed more with his passing and chance creation, completing 91% of passes, instead of his defending abilities. Lenglet played the full game, and Emery made a statement with this choice that he is going to consider Lenglet as an important part of his plans.
Thus, this appearance can have deeper implications for the player and the club as it comes amid speculation of him leaving Villa only halfway through his loan stint. With the fixtures becoming increasingly congested in the coming weeks and months, especially in the Premier League, Emery will be likely to play Lenglet more often.
The Spanish coach made it clear before the match that he wants Lenglet to stay at Villa, and he was convinced that the defender can help his team going forward.
