FC Barcelona are negotiating the potential sale of Clement Lenglet with Saudi giants Al-Nassr, according to Mundo Deportivo.
The Frenchman has become a burden for the Catalans at a time when they need to make player sales and reduce their wage bill,
This must be done to navigate Financial Fair Play limits, and register new players plus the fresh contracts of existing stars.
Despite traveling as part of a 32-man squad on a preseason tour of the U.S. over the past week, Lenglet didn’t play a single minute in three friendlies against Arsenal, Real Madrid and AC Milan.
As communicated by this, the central defender doesn’t feature in head coach Xavi Hernandez’s plans for the upcoming 2023/2024 season which Barca begin as defending La Liga champions.
Lenglet spent last term on loan at Tottenham Hotspur, who it was expected would make his temporary assignment permanent.
Barca wanted €12 million ($13.1 million) for a player they paid €35 million ($38.2 million) to Sevilla for in 2018 according to SPORT, with the north Londoners only willing to shell out half that fee.
This is perhaps why what was expected to be Barca’s first outgoing transfer of the summer in early June broke down, and the Blaugrana now have a weakened hand at the negotiating table.
According to Mundo Deportivo, they do not expect a big transfer fee from Al-Nassr if a deal can be struck.
SPORT reports the offer to be €15 million ($16.4 million), though, which is more than reasonable and will be welcomed by president Joan Laporta and his board.
Above all, getting Lenglet’s high salary off the wage bill is the number one priority with the transfer window about to close at the end of the month.
Around €18 million ($19.7 million) a year can reportedly be saved by offloading Lenglet, and that sum is capable of rising to around €30 million ($32.8 million) in total considering he was one of the players that previously deferred parts of his salary in the post-pandemic era.
With a contract that runs until 2026, Lenglet is under no obligation to leave but it is only the Saudi clubs in the modern football landscape that can afford to pay him anywhere close to what he currently earns.
Through agreeing to switch to Al-Nassr, Lenglet would join a growing list of ex-European soccer stars at the Saudi Pro League outfit including Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane, Alex Telles and former Barca transfer target Marcelo Brozovic.
