Aston Villa: Dan Bardell reacts as permanent transfer mooted for Clement Lenglet at Villa Park
Clement Lenglet is unlikely to earn a permanent deal at Aston Villa due to his wage demands despite recent reports, according to Dan Bardell.
Spanish news outlet Mundo Deportivo reported on its website on 1 March that Villa could negotiate an extension of the French international’s current loan agreement or sign him on a permanent deal from Barcelona after talks have intensified.
It added that the door is currently shut over a return to the La Liga giants for the 28-year-old centre-back, who earns a whopping £259,000-a-week, which the Villans are paying a considerable chunk of during his time at Villa Park [The Athletic].
Bardell believes the fact Lenglet will drop to fifth choice for Unai Emery’s side once Tyrone Mings returns to action means a deal beyond this season probably won’t be on the cards for the defender.
Speaking exclusively to Villa News, Bardell said: “I think for the wages Lenglet’s on and because when everyone’s fit, including Tyrone Mings, he’s probably fifth choice, so I would say Villa probably wouldn’t sign him.
“But I think Villa did well to get him in. I don’t think he’s been bad, I think he’s actually done well. I just think he’s suffered from the fact that Pau Torres is so unique and he can’t do the things he does.
“But I think he’s been a decent signing. In terms of Villa having to act fast when Mings got injured, I don’t think they could’ve got anyone better in on a short-term loan, so I would say that’s another tick for the recruitment department in the way they acted with him.
“He’s ended up playing a lot of games since Christmas, Villa have really needed him. He’s actually been the mainstay of the defence in 2024, so I think he deserves a huge amount of credit, especially because he didn’t play a lot of football in the first half of the season.
“But I don’t think Villa will be in the market to sign him in the summer. I don’t think he fits the profile of the type of signing that they’d be looking at and, as a left-sided centre-back, I don’t think he’s better than Torres or Mings.”
Wages an issue for Clement Lenglet at Aston Villa
It does seem incredibly unlikely that Villa would commit to paying Lenglet’s wages beyond this season once their other centre-backs are fully fit again.
As Bardell points out, the Frenchman has been a decent signing and has played reasonably well since breaking into the team this calendar year.
But Emery does have better options at his disposal and the money it would cost to keep the centre-back around could perhaps be spent on strengthening other areas of the squad at Villa Park.
In other Aston Villa news, a journalist has mooted a high-profile exit after a £110million+ development has emerged.
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