Barcelona Defensive Ace Is On Arsenal’s Radar: Should Xavi Cut Him Loose Next Month?

Fichajes has recently reported that Barcelona defensive ace Clement Lenglet is on Arsenal’s radar ahead of the January transfer window. It has been mentioned that the Catalans are planning to let the French centre-back go with the Gunners eyeing a move for him next month.

Lenglet’s Limited Role In Spanish Football

The Beauvais-born talent has struggled to earn regular first-team starts at the Nou Camp during this campaign. Lenglet has appeared in 13 matches for the Catalan club this season, picking up one assist in the process across multiple competitions.

The French centre-half has seen most of his playing chances for Barcelona come off the bench but deserves a pat on the back for averaging 1.3 tackles, 0.8 interceptions and 1.0 clearances per 90 minutes in La Liga.

He has even been accurate when playing his way out from the back after completing 90.5% of his attempted passes in the Spanish top tier (stats via whoscored).

Should Barcelona Boss Xavi Cut Lenglet Loose Next Month?

Lenglet is currently finding playing opportunities hard to come by in Spain but remains a decent centre-back because of his ability to sense the danger quickly and make some important interceptions on the defensive end of the field. He is not afraid to put his foot through the ball when required and can even put his body on the line to block a few goal-bound shots from the opposition.

The Frenchman needs to switch clubs if he wants to get back to playing at a high level in top-flight football. At the moment, Lenglet is not guaranteed a regular starting spot at the Nou Camp as Xavi has often relied on Gerard Pique, Ronald Araujo and Eric Garcia over him this season.

With all things considered, Barca would be wise to cut the French defender loose this winter even though he is still under contract until the summer of 2026 as they can use the money generated from his sale to strengthen other areas of their squad.