Tottenham Hotspur have opened negotiations to sign Barcelona outcast Clement Lenglet on a permanent deal, according to SPORT.
Lenglet has established himself as a key part of the Tottenham defence since arriving from Barca last summer on a simple loan deal.
The 27-year-old has slotted seamlessly on the left side of Spurs’ favoured three-man defence, establishing a partnership with Eric Dier and Cristian Romero.
Lenglet has made 33 appearances across all competitions this season, chipping in with a goal and two assists, and Spurs are pleased with his contributions to the team.
The North Londoners are keen to make his stay at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium permanent and have opened talks with Barca to negotiate a transfer.
The Blaugranas are reportedly willing to sanction a deal for the France international given their need to free up space in their bloated wage bill.
The Catalans find themselves in financial turmoil, and their need for a summer clear-out to raise funds amid plans for a squad reinforcement is well documented.
However, their priority is to register their players who have signed new contracts, including Gavi, Sergi Roberto, Ronald Araujo, Alejandro Balde, and Marcos Alonso.
Lenglet is one of several players the Blaugranas would be looking to move on, and Tottenham are more than willing to take the former Sevilla man off their hands.
Barca are looking to recoup some of the €35 million they paid to sign Lenglet in the summer of 2018, but both sides are expected to agree on a fee of around €14m for the defender.
Negotiations will continue at the end of the season, with both sides keen to finalise the deal.
Tottenham’s need for a new centre-back has seen them linked with a move for Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni, but the Italian giants are keen to hang on to the impressive defender.
Spurs will have to do with Lenglet for now while they monitor Bastoni’s contract renewal talks with Inter, with both sides yet to find an agreement on the new deal.
