One problem that Barcelona seem to be having summer upon summer is finding a new club for French center-back Clement Lenglet. The ex-Sevilla defender fell out of favor a couple of seasons ago but the Blaugranas haven’t been able to sell him permanently.
Lenglet’s contract extension was a parting gift to Barcelona fans from ex-president Josep Maria Bartomeu. He gave the 29-year-old a deal until 2026 at the Catalan club which would see him earn a whopping €230,769 per week.
At a time when the club’s finances are so precarious, Barcelona can simply not afford to have a fringe player who earns such high wages on their wage books. As per Diario AS, despite Lenglet impressing Hansi Flick in pre-season, he will surely be leaving the club this summer.
Lenglet’s last two seasons have been on loan at Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa. There has been nothing in these past 24 months to suggest that the Frenchman deserves another chance at Barcelona, especially at such wages.
Yes, Flick started him in his first game in charge against Man City in pre-season. However, Lenglet did not necessarily cover himself in glory as he was partly at fault for not staying in line with the defense for the English club’s first goal.
Considering the high wages that he is on, the report adds that a permanent exit this summer is unlikely. Another loan deal to a club to take him off our wage books temporarily or at least a part of it is the most likely option.
Barcelona’s current roster is blessed with an abundance of center-backs. Ronald Araujo, Jules Kounde, Andreas Christensen, Eric Garcia, Inigo Martinez, and Pau Cubarsi can all play in this position in the first team. The club also has the very talented Mikayil Faye waiting for a chance.
Thus, there is absolutely no meritable reason one can see to keep Lenglet at the club this season, despite Araujo’s injury. An exit is mandatory for the Frenchman and hopefully, some club shows interest in him to take him off our hands, temporarily or permanently.
