Clement Lenglet was one of many Barcelona stars who left the club in favour of a loan deal elsewhere.
After finding out his lack of prominence in Hansi Flick’s setup, the Frenchman joined Atletico Madrid on a season-long loan deal.
After encountering a relatively slow start to the season, Lenglet has become a key performer at Atleti, capitalising on the injury of Robin le Normand.
Atleti consider permanent move for Lenglet
According to MARCA, Lenglet’s recent performances have not gone unnoticed at Atletico Madrid.
In fact, there are voices within the Atleti camp who are advocating for the permanent signing of the former Sevilla star.
However, an alternate report from SPORT states that Los Rojiblancos would consider the move only if Lenglet would be available for free or a very low nominal fee.
Lenglet has been phenomenal at Atletico Madrid (Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images)
Atletico Madrid have discussed the possibility of signing the Barcelona defender permanently, but as of now, the operation could be challenging.
That is because there is no purchase clause embedded into Lenglet’s loan contract, meaning Atleti must re-negotiate with Barcelona.
But given the fact that Lenglet has shown a level of form not seen since his time at Sevilla, Atleti remain keen on acquiring the defender’s services on a permanent basis.
The ball, therefore, is now in Barcelona’s court. The Catalans are unlikely to make much of a fuss when it comes to the sale of Lenglet.
However, given the Frenchman’s recent form, it will be interesting to see whether or not the club look to maximise the economic opportunity and hold out for a hefty price tag.
From a combined economic and sporting perspective, though, ensuring the permanent sale of Lenglet could go a long way in alleviating some of the pressure on Barcelona’s balance sheet.
For now, all eyes will be on Lenglet tonight as he takes on his parent team at Montjuic.