29-year-old player’s permanent departure from Barcelona accelerates – Report | OneFootball

FC Barcelona are looking to strengthen their team for the upcoming 2024-25 season, and for this purpose, are looking to complete several moves to reinforce the weaker areas of the squad.

Meanwhile, the Catalans are also looking to get rid of some of their unneeded players, as they need to lower their salary bill to register the new players they will get this summer.

Barcelona looking to complete the transfer of Clement Lenglet this week

Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images

In this regard, one of the departure operations that they are set to complete in the coming few days is that of the defender Clement Lenglet, who is going to join Atletico Madrid permanently after spending the last season on loan with the Colchoneros.

According to Mundo Deportivo, all the involved parties are looking to complete this operation this week. Barcelona are keen to complete the operation to get their desired wage bill reductions, while Atletico Madrid and the player himself are keen to join forces permanently.

Uneasy negotiations

The three parties have been negotiating for some days now. The Mattress Makers had already let him know that they cannot afford to have him for another season on loan, and the only way in which he can continue at the Metropolitano is his contract termination with Barcelona and then returning to join Atletico as a free agent.

These negotiations have not been easy, and the Madrid side had even stopped seeing Lenglet as a priority, unless they agreed to their desired terms, i.e., without paying any fee to the Catalans.

Furthermore, the Frenchman, whose current salary is reported to be around €16 million, will also have to take a pay cut to join the Colchoneros.

His last season on loan with Atletico Madrid was quite good, as he made 32 starts in 34 appearances, and in addition to his good defensive displays, also scored 3 goals and provided 2 assists. Owing to these good performances, Clement Lenglet was also called up for the French national team squad for the UEFA Nations League.