Barcelona outcast Clement Lenglet is set to sign for Aston Villa, as Unai Emery looks to bring in a new defender before Friday’s transfer deadline.
The Frenchman, 28, spent last season on loan at Tottenham Hotspur, making 35 appearances in all competitions. He had an agreement in principle to join Spurs in a permanent deal but the north London club failed to find a common ground with Barcelona over a transfer fee. After talks with Spurs broke down, a move to Saudi Arabia appeared on the horizon for the 28-year-old.
However, it looks like Aston Villa might finally provide Clement Lenglet with the escape route from Camp Nou. The Villans have reportedly agreed a season-long loan deal with Barcelona for Lenglet, with the central defender set to travel to England on Wednesday. The Birmingham-based club will likely cover his entire salary, although there is no buy option included in the deal.
Aston Villa about to get their top defensive target
Aston Villa have made some exciting moves in the transfer market this summer. Signing Youri Tielemans, Pau Torres and Moussa Diaby represents cracking business, while managing to bring in Nicolo Zaniolo on loan from Galatasaray as a replacement for the injured Emi Buendia is a sensible move too.
Tyrone Mings has also joined Buendia on the treatment table after sustaining a serious knee injury against Newcastle United in Villa’s season opener, ruling him out for the majority of the 2023/24 season. In addition, Diego Carlos, having recently recovered from a serious Achilles injury, continues to be linked with a move away from Villa Park.
Such circumstances have pushed Villa to invest in a new centre-back before the summer transfer window shuts down. And, Lenglet, has thus emerged as a viable target for the Midlands club. The France international had no place in Xavi’s plans after returning from his loan spell at Spurs, but he should add a lot of value to Emery’s Villa’s squad.
The 28-year-old boasts of rich experience at the highest level, and his ability to operate at centre-back or on the left will boost Emery’s options in defence. Given Villa are competing in the Europa Conference League, having a defender with a European pedigree should benefit them a lot.
Thus, getting Lenglet on loan from Barcelona represents another smart piece of business done by Villa.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
