Clement Lenglet was a major surprise to see on the roster when Barcelona’s preseason tour of the United States was announced by Xavi earlier this month.
After all, the defender is no longer liked by the team and was given permission to skip practise before the tour in order to look for a new team.
He has been training with the entire team, so the manager’s surprise was having him listed on the squad list for the trip.
Lenglet won’t take part in any of the preseason friendlies, according to SPORT, even though he is travelling with the team to the United States.
The 28-year-old, who spent the previous season on loan at Tottenham Hotspur, sat out last night’s match against Arsenal due to minor discomfort, according to Xavi.
Following the game, Xavi had stated that “Gavi didn’t play due to some back pain, Lenglet has also got discomfort.”
Even after the Frenchman heals, according to SPORT, he won’t play in the final two exhibition games against Barcelona and AC Milan.
What will Lenglet do next?
Lenglet has no place at Barça. (Image by Getty Images/Alex Livesey)
Lenglet had a respectable season while on loan at Tottenham the previous year, earning the Lilywhites’ consideration for making a permanent signing.
The 28-year-old’s price tag has been a stumbling block in negotiations between the Premier League club and Barcelona.
Barça is holding out for a transfer fee of €15 million for the Frenchman, while Spurs are only willing to offer €5 million because they will also be responsible for covering his high salary.
As a result, discussions have become difficult, and an agreement does not seem to be close.
In the midst of this, Olympique Marseille of France has expressed interest in Lenglet and contacted Barcelona regarding both Eric Garcia and him.
It will therefore be interesting to see whether Lenglet secures a permanent transfer to Tottenham or a move back to Marseille.
