Tottenham has decided to not sign center-back Clement Lenglet on a permanent basis, sources have told Football Insider.
The 27-year-old French defender arrived on loan from Barcelona in the summer, with Spurs boss Antonio Conte eager to strengthen his defensive department.
However, the Italian has been left unimpressed with Lenglet’s performances during his loan stint.
Lenglet has made 27 appearances for Tottenham across the season, scoring once and assisting twice.
It is understood that the final decision to not sign Lenglet permanently was taken by the club’s board, with chairman Daniel Levy and director of football Fabio Paratici in agreement with Conte about Lenglet’s future.
Levy and Paratici are also working on dismissing Conte at North London after his press conference outburst following the 3-3 draw with Southampton last week.
Despite not being considered as part of Conte’s long-term plans, Lenglet has grown to become a regular starter for the Italian in the second half of the season.
Usually fielded in a back three alongside Eric Dier and Cristian Romero, Lenglet has played the full 90 minutes of Tottenham’s last four Premier League fixtures, helping the club climb to fourth in the table.
Lenglet will have to fight his way back into the mix at Barcelona after slipping down Xavi’s pecking order at Camp Nou last season – the French international played just 800 minutes in La Liga in 2021/22 before deciding to leave in the summer.
