Barcelona have reportedly taken a major step towards landing a summer signing amid reports that an agreement has been reached with Clement Lenglet on personal terms.
The Catalan giants boast the second best defensive record in La Liga this season, having conceded just 29 goals in 37 games.
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That has been an influential factor in their success as Ernesto Valverde has won a domestic double in his first season in charge, but concerns have been raised over the quality in the backline.
While Samuel Umtiti and Gerard Pique have built a strong partnership for the most part, the humbling defeat away at Roma in the Champions League and Sunday’s 5-4 loss to Levante to end their unbeaten run have shown that there are still weaknesses at the back.
Further, with ageing stalwart Thomas Vermaelen and an inexperienced Yerry Mina struggling to adapt to Spanish football after his January arrival from South America as reserve options, Barcelona don’t have the greatest depth in that department.
According to Mundo Deportivo, they may be on the path to solving that issue as it’s claimed they’ve reached an agreement with Sevilla defender Lenglet with a five-year deal being touted.
It’s added that he could join regardless of whether Umtiti stays or not amid ongoing concerns over his contract situation, and as per Sport, the Frenchman has a €30m release clause which arguably makes him a very astute signing in today’s market with big price-tags.
Lenglet has impressed this season, with the 22-year-old making 53 appearances in all competitions as he played a vital role in their Champions League run and push for a top-six finish in La Liga.
The report does bring up an important point though, as while he has benefited from a prominent role with Sevilla this year, there are no guarantees that he’ll get the same at the Nou Camp, which could end up having an adverse affect on his development.
Nevertheless, as per Mundo Deportivo, it seems as though he isn’t going to be able to ignore the advances of the Spanish champions and could be edging closer to sealing a move.