Barcelona fear out-of-favour defender will continue to wait for Tottenham transfer

Barcelona continue to work valiantly in the transfer market, with hopes of making strong recruitments and disposing of fringe players that Xavi does not require in his squad.

One of the players on the exit ramp is Clement Lenglet, as Barca pushes to complete his departure, which will save the club a great deal financially.

The goal was to transfer him to Al Nassr, with the Saudi Arabian outfit even offering him a €12 million per year contract.

Lenglet waiting for Tottenham

However, according to SPORT, Lenglet has ruled out the Saudi route, and his refusal to join the Middle East up until now has obliged the club to look for other options.

Lenglet’s uncompromising stance leads Barcelona to fear that the Frenchman prioritizes his return to Tottenham after already spending a year on loan there, and is prepared to wait for them to come calling.

The issue for Barça is that the English club does not consider paying Lenglet’s €15 million asking price.

Indeed, Tottenham would not be willing to pay anything in transfer fee for the defender while almost nearly meeting his current wages. It would leave Barça with no revenue from his sale, although they would be getting rid of his salary.

It is likely that the operation will not be ruled out until the last days of the market if this approach is ultimately considered and Barça is pressed for time.

Unlike Sergino Dest, whom Barcelona are also trying to sell relentlessly, Lenglet’s wages eat up a lot of the Catalans’ finances.

Making savings through the Frenchman’s salary reduction would enable the club to register any new possible signings, with the likes of Joao Cancelo, Ivan Fresneda, and Joao Felix regularly linked.

Lenglet has turned down the option of playing in Saudi Arabia, a move that could have benefited Barcelona a lot, and it remains to be seen how things work out in the coming days.