Clément Lenglet will return to FC Barcelona this summer after finishing his loan at Atlético Madrid. The red-and-white club has shown interest in retaining the French center-back, but the offer presented has been considered insufficient by the Barça board.
Lenglet won't stay at Atlético
According to Madrid-Barcelona, Atlético has proposed a figure below 5 million euros to acquire Lenglet permanently. However, Joan Laporta has rejected this proposal, as FC Barcelona values the player at approximately 10 million euros.
The Barça president believes that accepting a lower amount would be practically giving away the Frenchman, considering that his contract extends until 2027.
During his time at Atlético, Lenglet has had a notable participation, playing 32 matches and contributing two goals and two assists. Despite his performance, the Madrid club is not willing to match the valuation set by Barça. Additionally, the defender's high salary, which was deferred at the time, represents an additional obstacle for the operation.
Challenge: finding a team for Lenglet
With his return to Camp Nou, FC Barcelona faces the challenge of finding a definitive solution for Lenglet. Coach Hansi Flick doesn't count on him for the next season, and the club seeks to relieve its wage bill. The priority is to close a sale that approaches 10 million euros, but the options in the market are limited.
In this regard, Madrid-Barcelona is aware of the interest from some teams in England and Arabia in signing Clément Lenglet. What remains to be seen is if the Frenchman accepts them as potential destinations, having been very selective in previous years.
A couple of years ago, Barça had completely closed the sale of Lenglet to Al-Nassr, but everything fell apart. All the problems would have ended, earning 15 million euros from the sale of the French defender. Despite this, the center-back didn't look favorably on the possibility of going to Saudi Arabia.
In a year that has gone from more to less, Clément Lenglet is aiming for a temporary return to Barça, with no agreement yet with Atlético and both positions being far apart. The situation is not simple, but Laporta trusts finding a solution that is beneficial for all parties in the summer.