Barcelona hint at defender exit after La Liga registration
- Clement Lenglet registered to play in La Liga alongside Marcos Alonso
- Barcelona have had issues because of their need to comply with Financial Fair Play
- Marc Andre ter-Stegen renewed contract until 2028 on Friday
Barcelona have registered Clement Lenglet to play in La Liga in a move that may signal an imminent departure from the club.
The 28-year-old spent last season on loan at Tottenham Hotspur, making 26 appearances in the Premier League, but has returned to Spain for now.
Spurs have subsquently held talks with Barcelona over re-signing Lenglet on a permanent deal, with new manager Ange Postecoglou keen to strengthen his options despite bringing in Micky van de Ven from Wolfsburg.
90min understands that Spurs are willing to move on Eric Dier this summer, potentially opening up a space for Lenglet to fill even though they play on opposite sides of central defence.
Lenglet has also been linked with a move to the cash-rich Saudi Pro League, who have already taken Franck Kessie of Barcelona's hands - he has joined the likes of Roberto Firmino, Edouard Mendy and Riyad Mahrez at Al Ahli.
A departure from the Catalan giants would be beneficial for Barcelona, whose ongoing financial plight means they need to sell off squad players for prospective new signings. Manchester City full-back Joao Cancelo is likely to be the next cab off the transfer rank, but his move to Barca is dependant on the club being able to meet Financial Fair Play regulations.
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Lenglet's registration on La Liga's official website is thought to be geared around a potential exit, with the move by Barcelona seen as more of a formality rather than intention to play the former Sevilla defender. Any exit would now factor into FFP calculations, with Barca doing a similar thing with Sergino Dest recently.
Indeed, Lenglet has not been allocated a squad number and is unlikely to see many minutes in a Barcelona shirt because of fierce competition for places.
Marcos Alonso has also been registered by Barcelona after missing the club's opening two La Liga games, though he's likely to play second fiddle to Alejandro Balde, while goalkeeper Marc Andre ter-Stegen has agreed to a new five-year deal at Camp Nou - tying him down until the summer of 2028.
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