Barcelona defender to undergo medical tomorrow ahead of loan move – report

Journalist Helena Condis has confirmed that Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet will undergo his medical in Birmingham tomorrow ahead of his loan move to Aston Villa.

The reporter further writes not only Lenglet and Barcelona but even Aston Villa have in extra efforts to close an agreement.

The defender is poised to head to England shortly to conclude the remaining procedures and finalise the loan transfer.

Having not been part of Xavi’s plans, it was always certain that Lenglet would leave. A move to Saudi Arabia was possible but he turned it down as he wished to move to the Premier League.

Earlier today, the ex-Sevilla standout spent three hours at the club offices, awaiting the completion of the agreement.

Lenglet’s move to Aston Villa will be a simple loan deal without a buy option. Furthermore, it has also been suggested that the Premier League team will cover 75% of the salary.

How much will Barcelona save from Lenglet’s exit?

Barcelona would have favoured a permanent departure for Lenglet with a transfer fee. However, a temporary loan exit would be advantageous for the club as well in adhering to the Financial Fair Play regulations.

As mentioned earlier, Barcelona will only be responsible for a quarter of his salary during this season, while Villa will cover the remaining three-quarters.

Consequently, his departure is poised to create a Financial Fair Play leeway of €7.9 million. 

Such a financial boost could facilitate Barcelona in finalising the registrations of players like Inigo Martinez and Inaki Pena.

However, even after Lenglet’s departure, it is plausible that they may require additional space to accommodate the prospective signing of Joao Cancelo and even Joao Felix, who still happens to be a long shot.