As has been the case for the last two years, FC Barcelona again had to look for a new club for one of their unneeded defenders, Clement Lenglet. The French center-back has been surplus to the requirements of the Catalan team for quite some time now, but a permanent exit for him remains elusive because of his high salary.
As a result, Barcelona had to send him on two season-long loans in the last two years. Firstly, he spent the 2022-23 season on loan with the Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, making 35 appearances for them. Then, for the 2023-24 season, he joined Aston Villa, making 26 appearances for Unai Emery, and helping his team qualify for the UEFA Champions League.
He returned to Barcelona this summer, but despite some reports claiming that he might have a place in Flick’s team, it looked highly unlikely that he would represent the Blaugranes this season.
This has actually turned out to be the case as FC Barcelona have officially announced on their website that they have reached an agreement with Atletico Madrid for the loan of Clement Lenglet till 30 June 2025. This is only a simple loan move, and the Mattress Makers will not have an option for a permanent purchase.
This move begins another chapter in Lenglet’s career. The Frenchman joined Barcelona in 2018 and has made 160 appearances in total for the Catalan side, in which he also scored 7 goals and gave 3 assists. He has won a La Liga, a Copa del Rey, and a Spanish Super Cup with Barcelona.
This season, he will be under the order of Diego Simeone, as the Madrid side looks to go into the next season with a fresh defensive line. Stefan Savic, Gabriel Paulista, and Mario Hermoso have all left Atletico, and Robin Le Normand and Lenglet will take their place in the Madrid team.
