FC Barcelona want to make some more signings before the summer transfer window closes, but there is a barrier to the club’s ability to begin operations for new players.
This barrier is the financial fair play limits and the wage bill of the club, which needs to be lowered before the club can start pursuing new players.
This problem of the wage bill can be solved to a significant extent if the Catalans can offload the out-of-favor French defender, Clement Lenglet.
The center-back has been surplus to requirements at Barcelona for a few years now, and Barcelona are almost desperate to offload him this summer because he has the highest wages in the squad at the moment.
Tottenham unable to register new players
Lenglet spent the last season on loan at Tottenham, and he wants to rejoin the Premier League side once again this summer. The defender also received interest from other sides, including from a Saudi club, Al-Nassr, but his reluctance has resulted in this interest cooling down over the last few days.
However, Lenglet’s move to Tottenham is highly complicated at the moment. As SPORT has reported, the Tottenham coach, Ange Postecoglou, recently confessed in a press conference that his team’s squad list is currently saturated, and the club will have to release several players before the end of this transfer window. The Spurs coach commented:
“The reality is that we can’t continue acquiring players. We already have too big a squad. It affects training, the players themselves, because they all want to play and participate.”
Even if Tottenham can meet this objective of lowering their squad list from the current number of 34 in the remaining days of the transfer window, their first priority in the market is to get a competent striker who can replace the departing Harry Kane in the Spurs lineup. As Postecoglou said:
“I know that it is the objective of the people (to sign an attacker) due to the recent casualties, but we have been planning it for some time. There are still aspects that we can reinforce in all our lines: defense, midfield, forward…”
What does this mean for Lenglet?
Another Tottenham operation that is suspended because of the glutting of their squad is the signing of Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet. Tottenham want a left-footed center-back and Lenglet fits the bill, while Barcelona are also very keen to see the operation conclude as soon as possible.
However, the two clubs are still far away from an agreement for the sale of the defender. Barcelona want a significant transfer fee for the player, but Tottenham want only to take on Lenglet’s comparatively high wage, after some reductions.
If the two clubs are unable to come to an agreement, Barcelona are open to looking at other solutions to the Lenglet problem. However, Lenglet will be making the final decision in this regard, but Tottenham have a lot of work on their hands if they want to have Lenglet in the squad for the season ahead.
