Barcelona outcast no longer ruling out a move to Saudi Arabia – report

With less than a week left for the summer transfer window to close, Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet finds himself in limbo as far as his future is concerned.

Having returned from his loan spell at Tottenham Hotspur, the Frenchman does not feature in Xavi Hernandez’s plans at the Catalan club at all.

Lenglet and Barça have been working hard to secure an exit for the player but there has been no success so far.

The 28-year-old seems keen on a return to Tottenham, but talks between the two clubs have not progressed well enough and there does not appear to be strong interest from any other team in Europe.

Lenglet to Saudi Arabia?

As such, after having rejected the overtures of Saudi Arabia in the recent past, Lenglet is no longer ruling out a move to the Middle East, report Mundo Deportivo’s Gabriel Sans and Ferran Martinez.

Al Nassr from Saudi had previously shown an interest in Lenglet and were even willing to offer a lucrative contract to the Frenchman.

However, the Barcelona outcast sought to continue playing in Europe and as such had turned down the possibility of a move to the oil-rich nation.

But with there being little movement from other potential suitors, time is running out for the former Sevilla ace to sort out his future.

As such, he is no longer closing the doors on a move to Saudi Arabia, especially given that the transfer window in the Middle Eastern nation runs until September 20, which would allow him time to choose a club where he could fit in well.

Lenglet’s wages an issue

Having signed a long-term contract with Barcelona in 2020, Lenglet’s wages this season come up to a mammoth €16 million owing to past deferrals and the incremental nature of his deal.

Given the financial circumstances, Barça are in no position to afford such a salary and as such have made it their main aim to get rid of the French international this summer.

Having initially sought to sell him permanently, the Blaugrana opened the doors for a loan exit as well, but there appear to be no takers.

There has been interest from some teams in the Premier League, Serie A, and Ligue 1, but none of the suitors are prepared to take on his €16 million salary.

Given the circumstances, a permanent transfer to Saudi Arabia seems the most likely outcome at this point.