Tottenham Hotspur could be set to revisit an old acquisition, seeking to make a questionable loan permanent.
What's the latest on Clement Lenglet to Tottenham Hotspur?
That's according to Spanish publication Sport, who suggest that Ange Postecoglou is keen to add Clement Lenglet to his squad for the foreseeable future, despite the French defender having struggled in north London.
The club have reportedly reaffirmed in recent months their satisfaction with his performances in a Spurs shirt, and therefore their willingness to strike a deal with Barcelona.
With three years left on his whopping £200k-per-week deal at the Spanish club, and the Catalan giants once again strapped for cash, they are seeking out a figure of around €12m (£10m) to recoup a portion of the €36m (£31m) they first invested.
Would Clement Lenglet be a smart signing for Tottenham Hotspur?
Whilst such a small fee would represent good value to add some depth to the squad, his performances for the Lilywhites were nothing short of abysmal in their most recent term.
Although it had been claimed so back in 2020, he really proved journalist Roy Nemer correct this season, who had branded him a "defensive liability". It could even be argued that the 27-year-old was even worse than Eric Dier, who acted as something of a lightning rod for criticism under Antonio Conte.
The England international may have been poor, but his 6.86 average rating was a far cry from the left-footed flop that Lenglet turned out to be. This figure was upheld by his 86% pass accuracy and 1.1 interceptions, 0.9 tackles and 3.3 clearances per game in the league, via Sofascore.
For comparison, the former Sevilla stopper saw his average rating plummet to 6.65, made worse due to his positional culpability and failure to dominate as expected. He would only muster 0.7 interceptions and 2.6 clearances per game in the league, also per Sofascore.
Even at the Nou Camp, his most recent year saw an average rating of 6.67 maintained too.
Despite this, it was the former Everton youth product that was most often lambasted, with talkSPORT pundit Darren Ambrose grouping him up with others who were "not good enough" for the club. He has become an easy target for ridicule in recent years.
It seems an easy excuse to rush at Dier for his failures, forgetting that the 29-year-old has been an ever-loyal servant to this club, making 361 appearances and enjoying some truly impressive spells. As recently as the 2021/22 season did he record a 7.01 average rating.
For all his shortcomings he at least deserves some credit, especially ahead of this loanee whom he actually outperformed during their most recent torrid campaign.
Lenglet could mark a bargain, but if he performs consistently like he did last term, at a level way below one of the club's most polarising figures, then it is a deal not even worth spending £10m on.
