A head-turning story surrounding the plans of the board at La Liga giants Barcelona to aid the club’s efforts on the transfer market has on Monday been forthcoming online.
The info comes courtesy of Diario Sport, and points towards Barca preparing a contract renewal for an out-of-favour member of Hansi Flick’s squad.
The player in question? Clément Lenglet.
Defender Lenglet, for his part, has long been tipped to depart Catalunya’s capital on a fresh loan before the summer is out.
This comes as Deco and co. work to find a club willing to take on at least some part of the Frenchman’s massive wage packet.
After agreeing to defer his wages during the pandemic, Lenglet is now owed a whopping €32 million by Barcelona through the summer of 2026.
With suitors, as a result, thin on the ground, the Camp Nou hierarchy have been forced to get creative.
And, according to Diario Sport, such efforts have led Barca to a new solution – renew their stopper’s contract, to stretch his wages out over a longer period:
‘In this way, they would be able to defer his high salary of 16 million euros gross. That is, it would be 8+8+8+8, in total, 32 ‘kilos’ to be distributed over 4 years.’
From here, Atlético Madrid would reportedly then be willing to take on 80% of Lenglet’s pay as part of a season-long loan deal.
So, why could this move prove to be so beneficial for the Blaugrana in the short-term?
First off, it would open up the necessary room on the wage bill for Barcelona to at last register summer signing Dani Olmo for La Liga play.
Not only that, but, as per Sport:
‘There would even be ‘space’ to bring in a low-cost left winger.’
Conor Laird | GSFN
