Clement Lenglet is on course to become Tottenham's fifth addition of the summer with the Barcelona defender closing in on a move to north London. The 27-year-old is set to join on a season-long loan deal and Spurs hope that the centre-back will complete a medical in the next 24 hours and sign before they depart on Saturday for their pre-season tour of South Korea.
Lenglet may have played a bit-part role for Barcelona last season but he does bring experience to Tottenham having played in the Champions League for the Spanish side and also on the international stage for France. The Frenchman will give Spurs some much-needed cover on the left of the back three, while he can also operate centrally if Antonio Conte needs him to be play there.
So what exactly are Tottenham getting in Lenglet? Here we take a look at what his managers and teammates have said about him.
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Representing France on the international stage after making his debut for Les Bleus in 2019, Lenglet came in for plenty of praise from manager Didier Deschamps in his second appearance for his country following a 4-1 win over Albania.
"He had a great season with Barca. He has a lot of serenity, assurance and technical ease. He's calm on the ball," said the former midfielder. "Without being very big, he is also effective in duels and knows how to anticipate. He's still improving but he gives off a lot of confidence."
Raphael Varane was playing alongside him in the victory over Albania and hailed his new defensive partner after a strong showing.
"It was easy on the level of understanding, movements, and complementarily, he's a boy that’s very attentive to his position, so there were no problems," admitted the Manchester United defender. "Plus we communicate well. It was very positive."
Always tipped to go on and play for his country after excelling for French side Nancy prior to his move to Sevilla, it wasn't long before Barcelona made a move for the centre-back. Vincenzo Montella was manager of Sevilla at the time and he made it clear he wanted to keep him because he knew he had a star on his hands.
"Lenglet is a champion in the head and on the pitch," said the Italian. "He could play in the future for a big team like Barcelona but I hope he stays at Sevilla for a few years."
Tottenham fans will soon discover Lenglet's qualities providing his move goes through but the comments from his previous managers and teammates do indicate that they are signing a very talented player. Struggling for form at Barcelona last term due to a lack of minutes, a fresh start in N17 could just be what he needs to get back to his very best.
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