Out-of-favour Barcelona defender wants permanent transfer settled before Club World Cup | OneFootball

Clement Lenglet is back in Barcelona and working to resolve his future, according to a recent report from SPORT.

The French defender, who spent the 2024/25 season on loan at Atletico Madrid, is keen to make his stay in the Spanish capital permanent before the start of the FIFA Club World Cup in mid-June.

Lenglet had a strong season under Diego Simeone, playing 34 matches while clocking more than 2,500 minutes, scoring three goals, and providing two assists.

Lenglet want to continue at Atletico Madrid

Now, his loan spell is officially set to end on June 30. However, Atletico begin their Club World Cup campaign on June 15, and if they reach the final, the tournament could run until mid-July.

This creates a situation where Lenglet would be ineligible for the latter stages unless his move becomes permanent or a new agreement is struck.

The player does not want to miss out. He is reportedly happy in Madrid, enjoys working with Simeone, and wants to stay.

Clement Lenglet has no future at Barcelona. (Photo by Judit Cartiel/Getty Images)

To make that happen, he travelled to Barcelona on Wednesday to meet with the club’s sporting officials and push for a quick resolution.

Barcelona hope to benefit financially

While Atletico want to keep Lenglet, Barcelona are also looking to offload the defender permanently.

Lenglet still has a contract with the Catalan giants until 2027, and his high wages are a problem for the club’s Financial Fair Play obligations.

Barça are willing to let him stay at Atletico for the Club World Cup, but want compensation if he plays additional matches beyond his loan term.

Talks are ongoing, and both sides are aiming to finalise the transfer soon so Lenglet can focus entirely on the tournament.

For Barcelona, removing Lenglet’s wages and securing a transfer fee, even if modest, would offer much-needed financial breathing room.