Barcelona have ‘serious concerns’ over loan star
Robin Bairner
- 6 Nov 2023 07:26 GMT
- 3 min read
Barcelona have “serious concerns” over Clement Lenglet’s situation at Aston Villa, according to reports.
The 28-year-old defender moved to the Birmingham club late in the summer transfer window but has struggled to make an impact at Villa Park and has not featured for a single minute of Premier League football this season, making the bench on eight occasions but never getting on.
Instead, Lenglet has been used as a squad filler for the Conference League matches, playing the full game against the likes of Legia Warsaw, Zrinjski Mostar and AZ.
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The situation, though, has perturbed Barcelona, who would have hoped the France international would have played a more prominent role in the thinking of manager Unai Emery.
Sport reports that Barca are beginning to become “seriously concerned” by the lack of first-team action that Lenglet has earned at Villa, despite the club requesting a loan deal for a player who already had Premier League experience as well as international caps.
Barca’s frustrations with Lenglet situation
Barcelona are irritated by the current position because they were banking on Lenglet at least retaining his transfer value with a loan – and perhaps even improving it.
In a difficult financial position, the Blaugrana tried to sell Lenglet, a former Tottenham defender, last summer for €15 million but could find no buyers. Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr were interested, but Lenglet preferred to stay in Europe and turned a move to the Saudi Pro League down.
Lenglet then went on the loan market, attracting interest from Sevilla and Atletico Madrid, but a bid from the Premier League club was accepted because they were able to cover the bulk of his wages.
Lenget's transfer value over time
Getting little meaningful game time at Villa, Sport reports that Barcelona are considering cutting the loan short “for the good of all parties”.
Barca, meanwhile, cannot afford to keep Lenglet, who is on an expensive contract until 2026.
No official discussions over severing the loan agreement have started, but they are starting to emerge in Barcelona’s mind as they see the value of their asset depreciate.
