Clement Lenglet reveals why he rejected Tottenham last season
Speaking in an interview as quoted by Football. London, Clement Lenglet reveals that he rejected the opportunity to sign for Tottenham Hotspur last season as he wanted to spend more time in Barcelona.
One of Spurs’ several signings this season, Clement Lenglet has impressed during the pre-season under Antonio Conte and is widely expected to start in the Lilywhites campaign opener this weekend.
A talented French centre-back, Lenglet has what it takes to succeed in an Antonio Conte team and he can be the perfect player to sign as the left-sided centre-back in the back three that the Italian tactician likes to deploy.
Lenglet has had a season to forget with Barcelona last time around where he found himself out of favour under Xavi Hernandez, especially in the second half of the season. The French defender seemed to have lost confidence in a Barcelona shirt.
Speaking about joining Spurs and why he rejected the Lilywhites last time around, Lenglet said
“Last year wasn’t the moment. I was playing a lot with Barcelona the year before and I was with a lot of energy to play for Barcelona. Then the last year I played less, so it was a good opportunity for me this summer. I spoke with Fabio, with the manager, with my team-mates to take the decision. It was very clear for me”
Lenglet is expected to be a huge player for Antonio Conte this season. He can be the attack-minded centre-back that the Italian tactician likes to deploy on the left side of his central defence.
Anyone who has seen the Frenchman play knows that Lenglet is exceptionally good on the ball and can drive forward with the ball at his feet. The Frenchman is also capable of providing solid short and long passes.
This kind of role was successfully executed by Ben Davies during his time under Antonio Conte but there is no doubting that Lenglet will be an instant upgrade on the Welshman.
More Tottenham News:
- Tottenham ‘confident’ about €45m transfer hijack; Paratici set to hold talks for priority target
- Tottenham outcast ‘highly rated’ by Serie A giants; potential summer transfer on the cards
- AS Roma ‘happy’ to sell Nicolo Zaniolo after transfer talks with Tottenham Hotspur
If Lenglet’s transfer goes according to plan, there is no doubt that Spurs will want to make this move permanent next summer. There is still a lot of time left for us to think about that though.
