Tottenham Hotspur are in advanced discussions over a permanent deal for Barcelona centre-back Clement Lenglet, according to a report.
The former Sevilla man was the Lilywhites' only central defensive acquisition last year, joining from the La Liga champions on a season-long loan deal.
Lenglet was a regular fixture in the Tottenham backline with 35 appearances in all competitions, scoring a crucial goal in a 2-1 Champions League win over Marseille, which sent Spurs through to the knockout rounds.
Lenglet also provided two assists in the Premier League, where he started 24 games under Antonio Conte, Cristian Stellini and Ryan Mason, but there is a consensus that he failed to make his mark in English football.
Tottenham conceded a staggering 63 Premier League goals throughout the 2022-23 season - only in the 1992-93 campaign had they shipped more in the competition - missing out on a place in Europe for the first time in 14 years as a result.
© Reuters
Lenglet's Tottenham contract did not include an option or obligation to make his stay permanent, and the Lilywhites recently announced his departure alongside Villarreal loanee Arnaut Danjuma when their deals officially expire at the end of the month.
However, the centre-back does not appear to have a future at Barcelona under Xavi - in spite of his long-running contract until 2026 - and according to Sport, Spurs are indeed working on a permanent deal.
The report states that Tottenham and Barcelona have already reached an advanced stage of negotiations, and the Lilywhites could sign Lenglet permanently for as little as €5m (£4.3m).
While Barcelona are apparently keen to offload Lenglet before the end of the month, the Frenchman's salary - believed to be as much as €16m (£13.8m) per year - is still a sizeable roadblock.
Tottenham cannot afford to keep Lenglet on such a high wage, and they had initially only wanted to take the France international on loan for another season, but Barcelona are pushing for a full sale.
© Reuters
Lenglet would have to accept a significant salary decrease to leave Barcelona, but Tottenham can offer him the security of a long-term contract for five years until the summer of 2028.
The ex-Nancy starlet caught the eye of Barcelona while on the books at Sevilla, joining La Blaugrana in a €35.9m (£31m) deal in 2018 and playing a starring role in his first couple of years.
Lenglet helped Barcelona complete a La Liga and Supercopa de Espana double in the 2018-19 season and also won the Copa del Rey in 2020-21, but he is now below Ronald Araujo, Jules Kounde, Eric Garcia and Andreas Christensen in the pecking order.
In total, the Frenchman has seven goals and three assists from 160 games in a Barcelona jersey, and he would represent a cheaper alternative to £60m-rated Marc Guehi for Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou.
The Lilywhites have already signed Dejan Kulusevski on a permanent deal from Juventus this summer, and they are believed to have reached a verbal agreement over a deal for Empoli goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.
Ben Knapton
