Tottenham Hotspur have set their sights on Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet for a January transfer, according to the latest reports from The Sun.
Antonio Conte, who admitted that Tottenham’s squad was not up to standard after their loss to Mura in the European Conference League, has managed to whip the team into a fighting shape.
The North London club have kept three clean sheets in their last five Premier League games but Conte is still pining for more defensive reinforcements as he looks to make the Tottenham Hotspur team in his image.
Clement Lenglet has been a target for Spurs for some time, and with Barcelona looking to solve a big financial issue, the Lilywhites could make a move for the 26-year-old French defender and offer Barcelona some much-needed funds.
Lenglet signed for Barcelona from Sevilla in 2018 and is in his fourth season at Barcelona. In that time, he has won a LaLiga title, a Copa del Rey trophy and a Supercopa de Espana trophy during his stay at the club. His fine form for Barcelona in his debut season saw him earn his first call-up to the French national team and he has been a part of their dynamics ever since.
He has since been relegated to being a squad option after an impressive debut season at the Camp Nou which saw him displace fellow Frenchman Samuel Umtiti.
Spurs are in need of a left-footed defender as Welsh fullback Ben Davies is the only left-footed defender at the club. This will also mean that Lnglet could slot in seamlessly into Antonio Conte’s preferred 3-5-2 formation as the left-sided centre back.
Sevilla contact Barcelona for Lenglet
Lenglet could be returning to his old club Sevilla according to more reports from El Nacional. The defender recently came under fire from Barcelona fans after cameras caught him laughing with Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski following their 3-0 defeat to the German champions in the Champions League which sent them to the Europa League.
El Nacional claims that Clement Lenglet is being looked at by Sevilla who are preparing for the exit of Jules Kounde who could be leaving for Chelsea in the summer. Reports from November also claim that Lenglet was offered to The Andalusian giants for €10 million ahead of the January transfer window. Now, they are the ones reportedly looking into a potential summer deal that could see them paying more to Barcelona for their former defender.
The 26-year-old has started only eight games this season for Barcelona as he has seen his spot usurped by new signing Eric Garcia and former youth player Ronald Araujo. However, unlike Tottenham’s interest in the defender for a January transfer, Sevilla are targeting the Frenchman for a summer transfer.
This could give Xavi some more time with him as the Barcelona manager still considers Lenglet a very important squad player and hopes to keep him beyond the summer.
