Earlier this week, reports suggested that Barcelona outcast Clement Lenglet is inching closer to a transfer to Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr.
The Frenchman does not have a place in Xavi Hernandez’s plans at Barça and has been linked with an exit all summer, since returning from his loan stint at Tottenham Hotspur.
A permanent move back to London was under consideration but the two clubs were unable to reach an agreement over a transfer fee.
As such, a move to Saudi Arabia became a viable option, with Al Nassr reportedly open to meeting Barça’s financial demands while handing Lenglet a lucrative contract.
A meeting between the two clubs is expected to take place soon to discuss the transfer.
Lenglet does not want to leave Europe
However, now Gerard Romero is reporting that Lenglet does not want to leave Europe for Saudi Arabia and his agent will be meeting with Barcelona officials to discuss the situation later today.
Lenglet’s wages are a big concern for Barça and they are eager to get him off the books at the earliest possible.
But a permanent transfer away is proving difficult owing to his wages and the club’s transfer fee demands.
There have been teams such as AC Milan and Juventus looking to sign him, but they are only looking at loan operations, which does not convince the Blaugrana. That is why they were hoping to convince him of a move to Al Nassr.
But Lenglet still prefers to continue in Europe rather than leave for the Middle East.
The Frenchman’s departure could help Barça register more players, especially with Joao Cancelo closing in on a loan move from Manchester City.
So, it remains to be seen what path the transfer story takes and if Lenglet agrees to leave for Saudi Arabia.
