Aston Villa leave Barcelona ‘seriously concerned’ about high earner’s future as January theory forms
Aston Villa defender Clement Lenglet
Barcelona are beginning to worry that Clement Lenglet is declining in market value during his loan spell with Aston Villa, according to reports in Spain.
Lenglet joined Aston Villa on loan late in the summer transfer window after spending last season at Tottenham Hotspur via a similar formula. Barcelona struggled to find a deal that would suit all parties when trying to sell him, so ended up sanctioning his temporary exit to Unai Emery’s side.
However, Lenglet’s only three appearances for Aston Villa so far have come in the Europa Conference League (admittedly, he has completed 90 minutes in all of their group matches). On the downside, he has been an unused substitute for all eight of their Premier League games since his arrival.
According to Diario Sport, that has made Barcelona ‘seriously concerned’. The reigning La Liga champions are eager to sell Lenglet in 2024, since he is a high earner whose salary they would rather have off the books for good.
The longer he stays on the bench for Aston Villa, the less he has the chance to preserve a decent market value ahead of a possible permanent transfer.
Aston Villa do not have an option to buy Lenglet at the end of the season, so it remains to be seen who his next club will be. In that regard, a decision may arrive sooner than expected.
Although there are currently no plans to terminate his loan in January, the report claims it is something Barcelona will simply have to consider if Lenglet’s situation does not improve.
They would then look to send him elsewhere in the winter window in order to get his career – and marketability – back on track.
There is a feeling that interest in Lenglet may persist from elsewhere, since he is an experienced left-footed centre-back, which is a profile of player that can be in short supply.
Should Lenglet have chosen another club?
He had suitors in Saudi Arabia over the summer, but he was not keen on going to Al-Nassr – who subsequently took Aymeric Laporte from Manchester City instead to fulfil a similar task.
Furthermore, Sport relays that Lenglet could have gone back to La Liga with either Sevilla or Atletico Madrid if either of them could have afforded to take him on – but they could not.
For the foreseeable future at least, Lenglet will have to fight for his place at Aston Villa. It was originally thought that he would provide cover for fellow left-footed centre-back Tyrone Mings, who is currently injured, but fellow summer signing Pau Torres – who is also left-footed – has been preferred in that role next to the right-footed Ezri Konsa instead.
Lenglet is still under contract with his parent club until 2026, by which time he will be 31 years of age. The longer it takes to offload him, the harder it might be for Barcelona.
Indeed, he featured fairly frequently for Tottenham last season, so if Barcelona struggled to sell him after that, it will be even tougher in the context of his current circumstances.
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