After three years of loan spells and fading relevance, the Barcelona outcast has finally rediscovered his best form, but not at Camp Nou.
The 28-year-old Frenchman has not played for the Catalans since 2022.
He has instead emerged as an unexpected stalwart of the Atletico Madrid backline this season after unsuccessful loan moves to Tottenham and Aston Villa.
Under Diego Simeone, he believes he can establish himself at Atletico Madrid, and this has led him to push for a permanent move, opening a complex transfer situation for La Liga clubs, according to Diario Sport.
Clement Lenglet’s revival of his career at Atletico Madrid is considerably remarkable, only for a player appearing to repeat the failures of previous Barcelona expensive flops.
Previous loans did not provide Lenglet with the opportunity to regain his past good form.
Instead, he is back in form under Simeone and has already made 23 appearances this season, establishing himself as a dependable member of Atletico’s defence.
Furthermore, Lenglet has been in trusty shape since his fortunate arrivals under Madrid’s established protocol, applying protocols from past practices.
Lenglet’s football career appeared to fade after making 2 appearances in the Premier League, but Simeone’s structure has ignored a legion of critics of his claims.
The €10 million valuation on Barcelona’s part represents Lenglet’s regained market value, but Atletico Madrid’s ownership seems to want to take advantage of pressure on their rivals.
In the past, Atletico has signed players such as Luis Suarez and Antoine Griezmann for a lower fee than Barcelona, and neither history nor the Catalan club would like to see that happen again.
Lenglet’s deal runs until 2026 with no real suitors outside of Atletico Madrid, making it possible for this transfer to continue for the summer, given the situation in the window.
For Lenglet, this transfer is more than just career security.
It is an opportunity for Lenglet to remain in a Champions League competition at a club where he is valued, while Barcelona sees it as an opportunity to finally obtain an away player who no longer fits their project.
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