Lenglet aims to end Benfica's decades-long French curse | OneFootball

Clément Lenglet, a 31-year-old left-footed centre-back, is Benfica’s chosen replacement for Nicolás Otamendi, the captain of recent seasons, who left at the end of his contract and has already signed for River Plate. After the arrival of Gabriel Índio, the club is once again strengthening the heart of the defence, this time with the French international from Atlético Madrid.

Lenglet’s signing also brings back a rare profile at the Luz: French players, who historically have not left much of a mark at the club. The French presence at Benfica has been limited and, in several cases, short-lived. The most recent example was Meïté, signed in 2021, who played 27 matches in one season and then continued his career on loan before leaving permanently.

Before him, Sébastien Corchia had an understated spell, making just eight appearances for the first team in 2018/19. Lionel Carole also made little impact, playing only a few minutes for the first team before continuing his career away from the Luz.

If we go back even further, names such as Laurent Robert emerge, who despite his international pedigree failed to find much continuity in Portugal, and Manuel dos Santos, one of the most used in this group, but still without the status of a lasting reference. Goalkeeper Yannick Quesnel also belongs in the same group, with just a single appearance for the first team.

In this context, Lenglet arrives with a clear objective: to establish himself as a defensive pillar. With experience at clubs such as Barcelona, Tottenham and Atlético Madrid, the defender will have the responsibility of stabilising Benfica’s back line and filling the void left by Otamendi at a time of transition in the team’s deepest-lying sector.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.