In a recent tweet, Sport journalist Toni Juanmarte revealed that Barcelona have received informal calls from other clubs for Clement Lenglet. It is believed that the Catalan giants are open to entertaining offers for the French centre-back during this summer transfer window.
No me la jugaría al 100% a que Lenglet será parte de la plantilla la próxima temporada. Pese a su Eurocopa discretita, en los últimos días el Barça ha recibido varias llamadas informales preguntando por el galo. Como ya se ha dicho, el Barça escuchará ofertas #fcblive pic.twitter.com/DyF0jMlwK8
— Toni Juanmartí (@tjuanmarti) June 29, 2021
Lenglet’s Solid Campaign In The Spanish Top Tier
Lenglet had a long and gruelling season at the Nou Camp but managed to put in a run of commanding performances at the heart of Ronald Koeman’s defence. The 26-year-old participated in 48 matches for the Catalans in the previous campaign, finding the back of the net on one occasion and picking up ten yellow cards in the process across various competitions.
More importantly, the French defensive ace has been consistent with his contributions at the back as he averaged 1.1 tackles, 1.0 interceptions and 2.0 clearances per 90 minutes in La Liga. He even distributed the ball with conviction, as evidenced by his pass completion rate of 92.1% in the Spanish first division (stats via whoscored).
Lenglet’s current contract with Barca expires in the summer of 2026, so Koeman cannot be pressured into selling him unless he decides to cash in on him to generate some funds for other incoming transfers in this off-season.
Should The Catalans Let Lenglet Go This Summer?
Lenglet is a moderately-paced defender who excels at playing his way out from the back. He can make some crunching tackles to secure the ball back for his team. The France international is also quick to react to the danger and can clear his lines when the opposition are on the offensive.
Standing at 1.86m, he has even got the strength to dominate the opposition in the air and can win some crucial aerial duels for his side. However, he struggled to help Barca challenge for the La Liga title and the UEFA Champions League trophy last season which has raised some concerns over his long-term future at the Nou Camp.
Currently, the Catalans need to sell off some of their players if they want to make some marque acquisitions this summer. Hence, if Koeman can find a suitable for the Frenchman, he could choose to cash in on him during this summer transfer period.
At 26, Lenglet is enjoying the peak years of his playing career, so selling him could be a mistake by the Catalans, especially if they fail to bring in a suitable replacement. However, if the Spanish outfit has a plan in place, they should consider upgrading their centre-back positions by recruiting fresh talent before the start of the new campaign.
