Tottenham Hotspur have been closely linked with Edmond Tapsoba and Micky van de Ven as Ange Postecoglou is on the hunt for a centre-back, but Sport (h/t Sport Witness) claims the North Londoners are still in talks with Barcelona to sign Clement Lenglet.
The 28-year-old has an uncertain future at Barca after falling down the pecking order under Xavi. He was loaned out to Spurs last season but didn’t turn the move permanent despite being unwanted at the Camp Nou.
Tottenham aren’t short of centre-backs with Cristian Romero, Eric Dier, Davinson Sánchez, Joe Rodon and Japhet Tanganga at their disposal, but Sanchez has been linked with a departure while Rodon and Tanganga were out of favour in 2022/23.
Lenglet made 35 appearances on loan at Tottenham last year but struggled for consistency, so the Lilywhites opted against signing him earlier in the summer. Barcelona present Joan Laporta wants to reignite a potential deal, however, as they want to part company with the French international.
Barca want deal
The report says talks are continuing between the two clubs and Laporta is desperate to get a deal agreed by the end of next week as he wants Lenglet off the books as soon as possible.
Sport says Spurs want to sign Lenglet on another loan deal as they are reluctant to match his €15m (£13m) asking price. They believe the total package will be expensive after including his £145k-per-week/£7.5m-a-year wages. Barca would prefer a permanent sale this time but may be open to another loan if an obligation to buy clause is included.
Lenglet joined Barca from 2018 and has gone on to make 160 appearances in all competitions, scoring seven goals with three assists, but he lost his place two seasons ago. The 28-year-old started only seven La Liga games in 2021/22, resulting in his loan move to Tottenham.
The French international is open to making the switch to Tottenham, so a deal will depend on Postecoglou. Sanchez will need replacing if he’s sold, but it remains to be seen which centre-back is signed.
Tapsoba and Van de Ven are the preferred targets to bolster a defence that shipped 63 Premier League goals last season, but the pair will be significantly more expensive than Lenglet.
