Saudi club Al-Nassr target Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet with €15 million offer
Now that Barcelona has landed back in Spain, some departures from the first team are expected. Ousmane Dembele will eventually sign with PSG, Franck Kessie is expected to move on, and Barca seems to be working their hardest to sell Clement Lenglet and Sergino Dest. Although he was expected to land in North London with Spurs, a new report links the French defender with a move to Saudi Arabia.
According to a report in SPORT, Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr are ready to make a €15 million big for the centre-back, and if that offer materialises, I don’t think Barca will hesitate in accepting the deal.
Xavi has made it clear that Lenglet isn’t in his first-team plans this year, and while Tottenham have remained interested after the defender spent last season on loan there, they never made an offer that Barca considered acceptable.
In some ways, Barcelona gambled on his market, and if a move to Christiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr can be agreed, it will have been a gamble that pays off. Reports indicated that Tottenham were trying to lowball the La Liga champions based on their financial situation. Believing that his market would eventually materialise they held off on the sale, despite knowing that they needed to move him at some point.
The deal is far from being done, which leaves the door open for Tottenham
Part of the reason why Lenglet has been difficult to move is based on his current salary, but according to the report in SPORT, Al-Nassr is willing to offer a three-year contract that maintains his earnings.
Tottenham will be given the chance to match any offer that lands on the table, with the Frenchman reportedly preferring a move back to the Premier League.
Even if Barcelona manage to land a €15 million offer, there are no guarantees that Lenglet would be open to the move. Some players are attracted to the work being done in Saudi Arabia, some are attracted to the money, but some players like Franck Kessie prefer to maintain their European place.
Lenglet did tour the USA with Barcelona but failed to make a single appearance which speaks volumes about how he’s seen by Xavi and the Barca management team.
It’s in his best interests to move on, just as it’s in Barca’s best interests to move him on.
