Aston Villa join battle for seasoned Barcelona defender

Aston Villa from Birmingham is expressing interest in Barcelona and French national team defender Clément Lenglet, as reported by journalist Fabrizio Romano on Twitter.

According to the source, the English club has initiated negotiations for the player's transfer in the summer transfer window. It was previously reported that Sevilla and Real Betis are also interested in the Frenchman, but Spanish clubs are only looking to loan him until the summer of 2024. However, the high salary of the player, who earns 16 million euros per year at the Catalan club, could be a problem.

Earlier, it was reported that Lenglet was close to a transfer to Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia for 10 million euros plus an additional five million euros in bonuses. However, the transfer fell through at the last moment. It's worth noting that the 28-year-old defender previously played for Sevilla in the 2017/2018 season.

Lenglet has been playing for Barcelona since the summer of 2018. He joined the Catalan club from Sevilla, and the transfer fee was 35.9 million euros. He has played a total of 160 matches for Barcelona in all competitions, scored seven goals, and provided three assists. His contract with the club is valid until the summer of 2026.

Lenglet has been representing the French national team since 2019. He has played 15 matches for the French national team, scored one goal, and received two yellow cards.