According to Sport, Arsenal have expressed interest in Clement Lenglet. The FC Barcelona star has emerged as a target for the Gunners, after being deemed surplus to the requirements at Camp Nou. Tottenham Hotspur, too, are apparently involved in the race to sign the Frenchman, who could be set for a shock move to the Premier League this summer.
Clement Lenglet: A Defensive Liability For Barcelona
Clement Lenglet’s arc at Barcelona has been nothing short of a roller coaster ride. After joining the club in 2018, the defender enjoyed a couple of successful seasons at Camp Nou, even being touted as the future face of the Barca defence.
However, over the past 18 months or so, the Frenchman has endured a rapid decline. His presence at the heart of the backline hasn’t been as reassuring, with the centre-back often struggling to offer the solidity or the consistency.
Lenglet was infamously involved in the Barcelona side that lost 8-2 to Bayern Munich in the 2019/20 Champions League. His certain individual mistakes also cost Blaugrana in last season’s UCL tie against Paris Saint-Germain.
As a result, the 26-year-old has fallen out of favour under Ronald Koeman and is expected to trail Eric Garcia, Gerard Pique and Ronald Araujo in the pecking order next season. But although his contract at Camp Nou expires in 2026, it won’t be surprising to see the defender leaving Catalonia in the summer, as Barca look to usher in a new era.
Is He Worth The Gamble For Arsenal?
Arsenal haven’t had much luck when it comes to their defensive purchases over the years. The decision to sign David Luiz didn’t pay out well while Gabriel Magalhaes, too, has not particularly lived up to the expectations.
Lenglet could be another poor investment, given his rapid decline recently. The Frenchman is blessed with technical prowess and quality, but lacks discipline, consistency and struggles especially from set-pieces.
The Barcelona defender is not a good leader either, so he cannot fill the hole left by Luiz and Sokratis. In many ways, he may turn out to be a liability for Arsenal, making things difficult for the Gunners due to his sloppy defensive nature.
Lenglet doesn’t offer much versatility either, so Mikel Arteta should definitely shift his attention to other options in the market. Someone like Ben White, for one, could turn out to be a better investment, as the Englishman is more experienced in English football and is capable of covering multiple positions, including the holding midfield role.
