Clement Lenglet takes the front page of Monday’s edition of Sport and the Catalan newspaper are really talking up a swoop for the Sevilla defender.
It’s been Sport who have most talked up the Samuel Umtiti situation and his contract disagreement with Barcelona. When denials were coming from elsewhere, Sport wouldn’t let go of the story and continued pushing the idea of serious Manchester United interest.
Despite that, Sport say Barcelona’s interest in Lenglet is independent of what may happen with Umtiti.
The Catalan club have ‘already made moves’ for Lenglet, their reasoning being Thomas Vermaelen turns 33 years of age this year and Yerry Mina ‘just hasn’t convinced’.
Real Madrid and ‘several’ Premier League clubs are said to be interested in Lenglet, with none of the clubs from England named by Sport.
Barcelona are still working to get the Umtiti renewal, and the idea is he’d stay, and Lenglet would be an option instead of the ageing Vermaelen and unconvincing Mina, with the Colombian being sent elsewhere at the end of the season.
Lenglet’s buyout clause has been reported as €30m for a while, but Sport point out some now claim it’s €45m. Either way, the Sevilla player is considered ‘afforable for now’, with the fear he could be given a renewal and a higher clause.
