While Tottenham Hotspur announced the signing of Richarlison on a five-year-deal from Everton last week for £60 million including add-ons, works were still going on behind the scenes to complete a deal for Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet.
The Frenchman is due to arrive on a season-long loan from the La Liga giants this summer and flew into London over the weekend in order to undergo his medical, as per reports in Spain, as he prepares to become the club’s fifth signing of the transfer window.
And although Lenglet fills the void for a left-footed centre back in Antonio Conte’s defence, the Italian is still looking for more and remains keen on wrapping up a deal for Villarreal’s Pau Torres.
Lenglet’s deal is expected to be confirmed imminently and he will join after spending the past four years at Barcelona. The Catalan outfit triggered his €35 million release clause at Sevilla in July 2018, and the Frenchman has since gone on to make 160 appearances in all competitions, scoring seven goals and helping the club win three trophies.
After starting just seven La Liga games last season, Lenglet has become surplus to requirements and will now hope to reinvent himself in north London this season, while he will also have one eye on making France’s squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar later this year.
Conte was keen for a left-footed centre back this summer after having to utilise Ben Davies in that position last season, as part of his preferred back-three system, and now Lenglet is set to plug that gap as the Italian continues his impressive rebuild ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.
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But Conte’s plans to bolster his centre back options this summer don’t look like they will stop there, as Tottenham continue to be linked with a move for Torres, who has been on their radar for the majority of the summer transfer window following his impressive season with Villarreal.
The Spaniard featured 47 times for Unai Emery’s side last season as they finished seventh in La Liga and went on a fairytale run to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals, of which Torres earned special praise for his leadership and dominant displays from the back.
And now Spurs could still be hoping to bring those qualities to north London this summer, with the Daily Mail reporting last month that Torres had risen to the top of their defensive shopping list after they missed out on primary target Alessandro Bastoni from Inter Milan.
A swap-deal involving Giovani Lo Celso, who shone with the Yellow Submarine during his loan spell in the second half of last season, seemed like a likely option, although nothing has yet been taken up between either club. Either way, Torres is expected to cost around £45m.
However, Spurs will face heavy competition from Manchester United and, as things stand, the Red Devils look as though they will make their move for the 25-year-old. Mirror Football understands that Alex Telles is set to move on this summer after his training ground bust-up in May, and United may consider using him as part of a deal to secure Torres.
Although United are prioritising Ajax’s Lisandro Martinez and Spurs are due to announce the arrival of Lenglet, both clubs continue to eye up a move for Torres. But with Tottenham’s long-standing interest in the player, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them revisit the potential for a move this summer.
