FC Barcelona has completed the exit of a long-serving defender, capping an era as he officially moves to league rivals.
The transfer, which will happen after he signs a three-year contract, is part of a series of moves by Barcelona to clear out their squad to help their Financial Fair Play (FFP) situation.
The player has mutually agreed to terminate their contract with the Blaugrana, with Barcelona covering a part of his remaining salary while he has agreed to forego the rest.
This arrangement demonstrates Barcelona’s tactical approach towards managing their wage bill while allowing the player to depart for a competitive La Liga team.
The player in question is Clement Lenglet, the French center-back has been at the club since his transfer from Sevilla in 2018, as per Fabrizio Romano.
Lenglet, 29, signed a three-year contract with Atlético Madrid, which allows him to work under Diego Simeone for the next three seasons.
Moreover, his transfer comes as he has moved clubs after a series of loan spells, including a loan to Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa, and has been a player who was unable to secure a consistent position with Hansi Flick.
Barcelona’s decision to let Lenglet leave was necessary to relieve financial problems and to provide new opportunities to young players such as La Masia product Landry Farré.
Ethically, this is a good move for Barcelona, as they can balance the books while simultaneously having depth in their squad with youth options.
Atlético gets to add depth and experience to their back line, which they will need if they plan to challenge for titles, both domestically and in Europe.
This transfer also emphasizes the nature of how competitive La Liga can be.
The competitive nature of La Liga presumably suggests Lenglet will thrive in Simeone’s set-up.
While Barcelona focuses on their return to Spotify Camp Nou and youth integration, they lose a stalwart defender, and probably usher in a new chapter for both him and the club.
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