According to a club insider, Tottenham will not be signing Clement Lenglet on a permanent basis when his loan deal expires and instead will focus on a major center-back upgrade.
Clement Lenglet joined Spurs on loan from Barcelona in the summer as a stop-gap signing since the club failed to sign any of their primary targets. He has now started 5 of their last 6 games and has been quite impressive.
But Spurs insider John Wenham has told Football Insider that Spurs is not looking for a permanent deal for the centre-back. He said:
“I have said that I am a fan of Lenglet.
“In the summer, it was made abundantly clear, Tottenham leaked it to selected journalists, that we were looking to upgrade the side.
“We were looking for a top table defender, Bastoni, Gvardiol. Davies is a little bit below that level and I think Lenglet is the same level as Davies.”
Wenham further said that, while Lenglet has performed similarly to Davies, it is not quite good enough to warrant a longer stay. He continued:
“I feel a bit bad saying this but Lenglet is not an improvement on what we have got. He is as good as Davies and that’s fine for a team who are finishing in the top four.”
“That’s a compliment to him because Davies has been playing in the Premier League for 10 years. But he is not pushing us like Dier or Romero does.
“It’s a bit harsh on him but I think he will play this season and do well but now Davies counts as homegrown in Champions League squads and Lenglet is only on loan, I could see us going in for another top-level centre-back.
“Lenglet will be told thanks for everything and will go on his way. That is harsh because he’s good and I like him but he isn’t better than what we have.”
Spurs will be linked with a number of centre-back options, with Josko Gvardiol already being mentioned as Conte’s main target.
When we are relying on Ben Davies to take us to new heights we should know we will not get that high! I can’t think of many EPL teams he would start for.
I don’t think it’s his position, he seems to be lacking many parts of the basic art of defending at this level. He doesn’t seem like a natural central defender, perhaps that’s why Pochettino didn’t use him there? He strong and seems like a bit of ‘leader’ but his defensive play just isn’t up to the job half the time. Even in a back three/five…
Some of us (on this blog for example) have been saying this stuff for several years. I’ve held this opinion of ENIC since probably as far back as the Jol sacking. However, it was after the League Cup win way back in 2008 that I was left in no doubt. Win a minor pot and then sell the best players in the team and set us back years again by bringing in cheap punts as replacements. Zero intention to build on winning our only ever trophy in 23 years under Levy.
it’s as clear as the nose on your face, we have been spun a yarn for well over two decades. I seriously question if many of our fans are actually living with any actual concept of reality at all…
Good job he’s mates with Conte!
That’ss the art of the illusion, getting people to look where you want them to rather than what they should.
Enic and Levy have done that well with big swaths of the fanbase.
Plus you always need a baddy to go against eg first doing a Leeds or Dirty oil money/
Then the mantra doing it the right way.
Though no fan has said actually said what we are doing because it isn’t the pots.
Paper clips need sorting plus someone has to do the coffees run i’m guessing
Dier does ok in a back three, yet for me, a top centerhalf should be as effective in a two as a three. The fact Dier isn’t, speaks volumes. His best position is deep in midfield where his brain pharts aren’t as costly and he can use his physicality more effectively.
Whatever Lenglet is or isn’t doing in training might be more down to him not actually being good enough to improve our starting 11. Just like every other signing this summer, apart from Perisic.
All this still leaves me wondering what Paraciti does all day…
‘Pushing us like Dier’? I’d say Davies is probably more reliable at the back than Dier these days. Our defensive signing was Romero being made permanent, any more lunatics still prattling on about ‘backing’ Conte and our stellar transfer window? Richarlison is merely Kane’s replacement too.
Some fans say that being in the Champions League will enable us to upgrade these areas of the team, so that’s the focus. Well, we’d previously been in it three years consecutively and still signed nobody for 12 months.
It’s all ENIC propaganda and only the mugs go along with it. This facade of ‘respectability’ and responsibility to the local area that Levy tries to offset this bullsh*t with is completely nauseating. After 23 years, especially so. Anyone say ‘lack of affordable housing’?
In a back 3 Lenglet and Davies are on a par. In a two Lenglet would stand out.
To be fair to Davies he takes up more offensive positioning when we attack.
Lenglet obviously isn’t doing something in training because he should be pushing as a replacement for Dier. Dier’s seemingly first reaction if the opposition get the ball is to drop to give himself at least and extra 5 yards, which pulls the whole side back. Lenglet seems is quicker in mind plus could draw a player out when starting a move, which Dier only does more by chance and opts for the quick sideways pass.
When was the last time Dier played someone offside? Even Conte couldn’t take it anymore Wed night, but Sanchez was worse somehow after he pulled Dier.
Cannot disagree with any of those comments above. Lenglet is ideal for us. All he needs is a Skriniar type next to him . If England have to rely on Dier at the World Cup, we’re in serious do do !!
It’s Dier that is a problem along with Royal, Davies and Sanchez. They are all below the level we need. Lenglet is probably the most accomplished passer forward of the ball from the back. Dier, Royal and Davies continuously give possession away when passing forward.They are shockingly bad and their constant sideways and backwards passing slows the entire forward transition of the team to a walking pace.
If this was true then Conte wouldn’t be using him at all like all the other new signings that are sat on the bench week in week out. Also hasn’t Bastoni made a loads of errors this season?
Lenglet when he has come in hasn’t put a foot wrong. I’d put him above Dier every day of the week