Aston Villa to make transfer decision on Barcelona loanee Clement Lenglet after Unai Emery call
Aston Villa will not make Clement Lenglet’s stay at Villa Park permanent when the summer transfer window opens, according to Alan Hutton.
The Barcelona defender joined the ranks at Villa Park in the summer transfer window as Unai Emery looked to strengthen his options after Tyrone Mings’ season was brought to an early end following an injury against Newcastle on the opening day of the campaign.
After a slow start to his loan spell, the 28-year-old became a regular at the start of 2024. However, Lenglet has once again fallen out of favour and was left on the bench as Calum Chambers was introduced against Liverpool.
Although Hutton admits he has been impressed by the centre-back’s displays in a Villa shirt this season, he thinks that it could be “time up” for the French international as the summer transfer window draws in.
“I’ve got a feeling that he will go back,” Hutton told Villa News.
“I think when the loan is done that will be it. At times when he has come in and done really well, especially with all the injuries that have been in the squad.
“I’m just not 100 per cent sure that he is the go-to guy for Villa in the next couple of seasons. You’ve got Pau Torres, there’s talk about bringing in a new left-sided centre-back and you’ve got Tyrone Mings still to come back.
“There are a lot of options there and they’re all very good players so I think that could be time up at the end of the loan.”
Will Aston Villa and Unai Emery sign Barcelona star Clement Lenglet permanently in the summer transfer window?
As Hutton suggested, when Lenglet has been called upon this season he has managed to impress in both the Premier League and Europe, but that doesn’t mean Emery should be rushing to make his stay permanent.
The Barcelona man hasn’t been able to hold down a consistent place in the Villans’ starting XI for most of the year and with Mings set to return and Pau Torres and Diego Carlos impressing, there is no need for the 28-year-old to hang about.
Emery has been tipped to sign another new defender when the window opens at the end of the season, with Mario Hermoso the early candidate to make the move to Villa Park.
If that addition is made, you would imagine that the Villans would be eager to add to their attacking options before they signed another centre-back.
Either way, it doesn’t seem as though Lenglet will be in claret and blue next term.
In other Aston Villa news, Nicolo Zaniolo appears to have played his final game in a Villa shirt following a new injury update
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