Daily Deals: Bologna calls out for star Barca defender as Calafiori's replacement
- Bologna shows interest in favor of Barca defender Clement Lenglet.
- The Serie A club eyes the Frenchman as Riccardo Calafiori's replacement.
Player Profile:
In July 2018, Barca placed their bet on a young Sevilla defender, triggering his release clause of €35 million to make the Frenchman a Barca player.
Over the successive months, Lenglet became a club favorite, to the extent that Culers began portraying him as the ideal successor for Gerard Pique. However, the youngster's fame soon took a sharp decline as the change of the decade saw things in turmoil at the Catalan club.
Sudden changes in managerial positions accumulated with financial difficulties at the club made Lenglet get loaned out to Tottenham ahead of the 2022/23 season. His loan ended on 30th June 2023' however, the defender's confidence was never the same. That made him again being loaned out to Aston Villa, which ended on 30th June 2024.
Possible Destinations:
Returning from a struggling loan campaign with Aston Villa, Lenglet hopes to join the new Barcelona setup under Hansi Flick. Having made only 25 appearances last season, the Frenchman hasn't been able to showcase his potential lately.
On the other hand, Bologna is in the transfer market for Riccardo Calafiori's successor at the club after the Italian defender's deal with Arsenal moved towards a closing end. Calafiori's heroics on the Bologna backline helped the Serie club finish at a remarkable 5th position last season.
Thus, Bologna, in looking for an experienced center-back, has shown interest in Lenglet, as they believe the experienced defender could bolster their backline, delivering his heroics at the heart of Bologna's defense.
Economics of the Deal:
Clement Lenglet, once valued at €60 M, has seen his market value dropping to €10 M after two unsuccessful loan spells in the Premier League. Though his contract with the Catalan club runs till June 2026, with players like Ronald Araujo and Jules Kounde in Barca camp, the WC winner would surely struggle for game time at the club.
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Having a handful of options at the backline, Barca wouldn't mind offloading Clement Lenglet permanently. If Bologna proposes a viable offer of anything around €15 M-€20 M, the Catalan Giants wouldn't recede them. Barca needs funds to pursue their dream signings of players like Nico Williams and Mikel Merino, and thus Lenglet's Bologna transfer would be vital for the club.
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