Barcelona’s €15 million-rated star in no hurry to leave the club amid Premier League links

Barcelona are working around the clock to reduce their wage bill as they look to sign new players ahead of the new season.

One of the club’s priorities is to get rid of Clement Lenglet. The defender is coming on the back of a relatively impressive loan spell at Tottenham Hotspur.

The Premier League outfit are considering signing Lenglet on a permanent deal, but are yet to reach an agreement with Barça over a transfer fee, with the two clubs separated by a figure of €5 million.

Indeed, it is claimed that Barcelona are seeking €15 million (fixed) for the Frenchman, but Tottenham are only offering €10 million in fixed fees and the remaining €5 million in add-ons.

According to MARCA, though, Lenglet is in no hurry to leave the club right away. He is set to join the Barcelona camp for pre-season training on July 10 and will become a part of Xavi’s preparation ahead of the new campaign.

The Barcelona coach, though, does not want to keep hold of Lenglet. He has a host of options at his disposal right now, especially with Inigo Martinez also set to join the Catalans on a free transfer this summer.

Apart from a sporting perspective, the Blaugrana cannot afford to keep hold of Lenglet financially as well. The Frenchman’s hefty €16 million salary next season could spell trouble for the club, blocking any possibility of bringing in a new star.

But with Lenglet in no hurry to leave Barça, the Catalans are facing an ominous situation. One solution could be the termination of the defender’s contract, but even that could cost a fortune due to his high salary and the duration of his deal.

As things stand, Barcelona have no option but to play the waiting game and hope they get lucky in the coming weeks. Given Lenglet’s hefty salary package, the club may ultimately end up having to terminate the defender’s contract, if the deal with Tottenham does not go through as expected.

Player valuation in title obtained from transfermarkt.com on date of publication.