Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly in ‘intense negotiations’ with Barcelona to sign Clement Lenglet this summer, as per the Spanish outlet Sport.
After moving to the newly renovated White Hart Lane on a season-long loan last summer, the 28-year-old had a mixed campaign last term, though he managed to accumulate 35 appearances in all competitions.
It initially looked that Spurs weren’t impressed by the Frenchman’s performances last term so they decided to let him return to Barcelona.
However, while citing and translating the print version of Sport, Sport Witness reports that Tottenham are interested in signing Lenglet permanently this summer and they have been in ‘intense negotiations’ with Barcelona to bring him back to the club.
The report further claims that Xavi Hernandez is ready to let their star man leave so it’s possible Spurs might eventually manage to secure Lenglet’s signature in this transfer window.
Lenglet to Tottenham
It has previously been reported that Barcelona want a fee of around £9m to sell the Frenchman so, the Blaugrana’s valuation shouldn’t be an issue for Spurs to purchase him.
After struggling with their leaky defence last term, Spurs have decided to strengthen their backline in this transfer window and are seemingly planning to purchase up to two new centre-backs.
Several players have been linked with a move to the newly renovated White Hart Lane over the last few weeks with Edmond Tapsoba and Micky van de Ven being mentioned as serious targets.
However, despite being in contact with their respective clubs, Tottenham haven’t been able to sign any of their key targets yet. So, it seems Ange Postecoglou’s side have decided to make a move to re-sign Lenglet to strengthen their defence as he is a cheaper alternative.
Lenglet is good in the air, comfortable playing out from the back, good in defensive contributions and also reads the game well. But, he lacks recovery pace and he struggled to cope with the physicality of the Premier League last term. So, he might not be an ideal option to address Tottenham’s defensive issues.
Therefore, the North London club would be better off signing Van de Ven or Tapsoba over Lenglet to bolster their backline in this transfer window.
