Transfer news: Barcelona ‘reach agreement’ with Clement Lenglet

After a setback to their chances of completing an invincible run in La Liga, Barcelona enters market to sign defender Clement Lenglet.

Barcelona are on course to complete their first summer signing of the summer. According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona have agreed a deal with French defender Clement Lenglet. The deal is reported to be around €35 million.

The 22-year old defender has been on Barca’s radar for quite some time. Lenglet has delivered strong performances for Sevilla at the back in a season which saw the club reaching the Champions League quarterfinals.

The need for a new defender looked paramount after Barcelona slumped to Levante in the penultimate match of the season. Barca conceded five goals in the game which broke their dream of an invincible season.

The centre-back pairing of Thomas Vermaelen and Yerry Mina was comical to say the least. This prompted the Catalan club to enter the market for a defender.

Lenglet joined Sevilla only last year and has a contract with the club until 2021.

The current crop of centre-backs is not convincing for FC Barcelona. Vermaelen is 32 and ageing, Yerry Mina is 23 and hasn’t shown any signs of improvement. Samuel Umtiti’s contract situation at Barcelona has forced the Catalan club’s hands to look for defenders.

Failure to agree a new deal has led to Umtiti garnering interests from clubs like Liverpool and Manchester United. Even when the club is working hard to keep the French centre-back, Barca board is unwilling to break the bank for a new contract.

Clement Lenglet has appeared for Sevilla on 47 occasions since joining the club. ESPN FC put him in the Champions League Best XI of the season for his strong defensive performances.

Barcelona intends to pose a strong challenge for European glory next season, as the club has failed to go past the quarter-final since three seasons.