Tottenham coach ‘loves’ Barcelona defender

Despite the activation of the ‘economic levers’, Barcelona still need to get rid of the deadwood from the squad in order to clear up space on the wage bill to accommodate the new signings while staying compliant with the La Liga salary cap rules.

One of the many players who is set to be moved on this summer is out-of-favour defender Clement Lenglet.

The 27-year-old does not belong in the plans of manager Xavi Hernandez and will fall further down the pecking order in the upcoming season with the imminent arrival of Andreas Christensen. Barcelona, thus, have made it a priority to offload Lenglet this summer.

There has been interest in the 27-year-old’s services from French outfit Olympique Marseille, while Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur have also shown an inclination to sign the defender on a two-year loan deal.

As per GOAL France, Tottenham manager Antonio Conte ‘loves’ Lenglet and remains keen on adding him to his roster this summer.

The Italian tactician, who managed to guide Spurs back to the UEFA Champions League with a fourth-place finish in the Premier League, is on the lookout for a left-footed centre-back for his three-man defensive line.

Players like Alessandro Bastoni and Josko Gvardiol have been linked, along with Lenglet. And the Frenchman could be a much more realistic target for the north London outfit given that Barcelona are willing to offload him.

Furthermore, the report adds that Marseille have decided not to pursue Lenglet anymore, as they are in no position to afford his wages, while they also find Barça’s loan fee demands for the 27-year-old excessive.

It leaves the road clear for Tottenham to make a move and the French international’s agent is now set to intensify talks with Conte’s side over a possible switch in the summer.