Barcelona have been heavily linked with the French defender ever since the beginning of Samuel Umtiti’s contract negotiations.
Lenglet currently plays for Sevilla who he only joined last summer from Nancy. The season as a whole hasn’t been great for Los Hispalenses with three managers and seventh place being the highest they can finish. They have to get a draw in their last game against Alaves to make sure they finish in a Europa League spot. However, Lenglet has been a bright spark because he has adapted quickly to La Liga and become one of their top performers.
The French centre-back has played well in both La Liga and the Champions League. Some of his best performances have been saved for the premier European competition; he helped keep Manchester United quiet for 180 minutes as well as nullifying Bayern’s attack for one game. Therefore, he is more than capable in the high pressure situations which are common in big games.
He could be part of the French national team at the World Cup as well. This is impressive in itself considering the amount of players vying for that position. Samuel Umtiti, Raphael Varane, Aymeric Laporte and Benjamin Pavard are just some of the players competing for centre-back spots.
Numbers
Barcelona’s style requires defenders who are adept at positioning due to the high line as well as being composed. A strong passing range is key in order to keep possession circulating with forward passes to break the opposition lines. Retaining possession is an area that Lenglet is capable at because he has 83.6% pass accuracy in the league. It’s a lot more impressive in the Champions League at 89.5%, although there were fewer games.
He can have issues when the opposition presses high with the 5-2 loss to Atletico Madrid and the 5-0 loss to Barcelona being examples. Although his centre-back partner Gabriel Mercado had a horror show against Atletico. His other teammates didn’t help either because the defence was often isolated in the build-up stage, which left options limited. Having players around him who are comfortable under pressure and experts at positional play such as Gerard Pique and Sergio Busquets would help significantly.
Sevilla’s style is similar generally speaking to Barca in that they like to build out from the back. This can be hard for defenders to adapt to, but he fitted in seamlessly with 34 league appearances. He also had to deal with different approaches and systems due to three different managers, but that hasn’t affected him.
His defensive contributions are strong with interceptions being a key area. This is important to Barcelona’s play because it cuts out the opposition’s ability to use an outlet; Umtiti is a master at this. Doing this keeps sustained pressure on the opposition and means they are more likely to make a mistake. This suggests that he has the right mentality for a big team because intense concentration is needed in major games.
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Conclusion
Barcelona have to do their utmost to keep Umtiti at the club; he is the perfect defender for the club due to his physical attributes and technical ability. However, Lenglet would be an excellent addition regardless of what happens with the Frenchman. At 22-years-old he is a promising long-term prospect.
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Pique and Umtiti would be undisputed starters, but Lenglet could act as rotation for the less important games. He would also be a good option for the Copa del Rey matches. This squad needs rotation options because Pique has played with a minor injury for the majority of the season. Marlon Santos will be returning from his loan spell with Nice and they have Thomas Vermaelen as back-up as well. Yerry Mina will probably be out on loan.
In the unlikely scenario that Umtiti leaves, Lenglet would be a starter. Marca report that his release clause increases from 35 to 40 million euros near the end of the summer transfer window. Therefore, signing him before the World Cup should be a priority. Mundo Deportivo have reported that a deal has already been agreed, which would be good business from the board.
Lenglet does need to work on his positioning at times because he can be drawn in too easily by opposition attackers. However, that will improve as he develops and learns from his mistakes. Therefore, it’s unlikely to be a long-term issue and shouldn’t be hold against him.