Tottenham have completed the signing of Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet on a season-long loan deal, without an option to make the deal permanent.
The Frenchman, who moved to the Camp Nou from Sevilla in the summer of 2018, becomes Antonio Conte’s fifth signing ahead of first full season in charge of Spurs, following the additions of Fraser Forster, Ivan Perisic, Yves Bissouma and Richarlison.
Conte has been eager to ensure the bulk of the club’s transfer business was done before their pre-season tour of South Korea but Spurs were unable to secure a visa in time.
Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni was a major defensive target earlier this summer but the deal proved complicated, as the Serie A giants were not keen to sell, while the 23-year-old was happy to stay at the San Siro.
Introducing our fifth signing of the summer 🔥 pic.twitter.com/z2nYtkbazJ
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) July 8, 2022
Lenglet made only seven La Liga starts for Barca last season and was pushed further down the pecking order following the signing of Andreas Christensen on a free from Chelsea.
Comfortable on the ball and able to operate on the left of a back-three, however, the 27-year-old fit the bill for Conte when the trail for Bastoni ran cold.
The loan deal is not believed to be include an option to buy, raising the possibility Spurs could return for the Inter star next summer. Middlesbrough’s Djed Spence remains a target too, with the clubs locked in talks.
Tottenham begin their pre-season schedule with a game against a K-League all-star team before a meeting with Sevilla while in Asia.
