Aston Villa are ready to either extend Clement Lenglet’s loan from Barcelona or even negotiate a permanent move for the defender come the summer, according to reports emerging from Spain.
The 28-year-old France international struggled to make an initial impact at Villa Park after his arrival last summer, but has become an increasingly valuable member of Unai Emery’s squad as injuries have bit.
So much so, in fact, that Mundo Deportivo are claiming Villa are now keen to extend his stay – and that Barcelona are delighted by the development.
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Reporter Gabriel Sans writes: “Unai Emery, the Aston Villa coach, was emphatic in the winter market by refusing to let Clement Lenglet leave, despite not having many minutes.
“The Basque coach understood that he could be useful to them and the French centre-back has finally managed to find a place for himself in the team. He went from playing only the Conference League to being the undisputed starter in the Premier League.
“His revaluation excites Barça. Lenglet still has a contract [until 2026], although the overcrowding of centre-backs at Barca makes his continuity there unlikely.
“In England, there is now talk Aston Villa could negotiate the hiring of him or a new loan, which will allow Barça to get rid of the player. The current assignment does not include a purchase option.”
Villa have been hard hit by injuries to their defensive ranks this season, with Tyrone Mings out for the entire campaign and the likes of Pau Torres, Diego Carlos and Ezri Konsa also unavailable at different times.
And another loan or a competitively priced deal for Lenglet could make sense for Villa at a time when speculation around the club suggests they will be taking steps this summer to avoid breaching Premier League profit and sustainability rules.
According to the Mail, FFP pressure on Villa’s finances could spark renewed interest from Newcastle United in 22-year-old midfielder Jacob Ramsey and from Arsenal in Brazil midfielder Douglas Luiz.
So far this season, Lenglet has made nine Premier League appearances and 17 in all competitions for Villa.
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