Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of Clement Lenglet seems to be reaching a critical point, as the club plans to meet with Barcelona officials during their pre-season friendly in Spain next week.
That’s according to Mundo Deportivo, who claim that the meeting is intended to discuss the potential transfer of the 28-year-old defender, whom Spurs have been trying to sign since the start of the summer transfer window.
Spurs signed Lenglet on loan from Barcelona last summer and was considered to be a stop-gap signing at that time after the club failed to sign any of their top priority centre-backs.
Tottenham’s hierarchy had shown interest in signing Lenglet permanently at a reduced price, and the player himself has reportedly agreed to personal terms with the club.
However, Lenglet’s permanent move to Tottenham faced some uncertainty when Saudi club Al-Nassr emerged as a potential destination, offering €15 million for the Frenchman’s services.
This exceeded what Spurs were willing to pay for the player, despite having agreed to personal terms with him.
However, recent reports indicate that Lenglet has rejected the offer from Al-Nassr.
The report from Mundo Deportivo claims that the player is not interested in a move to Saudi as he still wants to play European football and is ‘more than open to a return to England with Tottenham’.
Other clubs, including AC Milan and Napoli, have also shown interest in signing Lenglet. However, Tottenham could have an advantage in negotiations with Barcelona given their past history.
Tottenham could be able to negotiate a better deal since Barcelona’s priority is getting him off their wage list. That means even if it is for a reduced fee.
The meeting between Tottenham and Barcelona officials on August 8th may provide an opportunity for the two clubs to potentially reach an agreement regarding Lenglet’s future.
Negotiations are likely to be crucial, and Spurs will aim to secure the player’s services at a favorable price to bolster their defensive options for the upcoming season.
