Atletico Madrid close to finalising the permanent signing of Barcelona outcast – report

Barcelona are looking to raise funds through player departures so as to reinforce the squad in the ongoing January transfer window.

Names like Ronald Araujo, Ansu Fati, and Eric Garcia are being linked with possible departures while the Catalans are also hoping to generate revenue through transfers involving former players like Oscar Mingueza and Trincao.

Now, it appears that the Blaugrana could be positioned to bring in some cash with the sale of a player who is currently away on loan.

Atletico Madrid close to signing Clement Lenglet permanently

Indeed, according to AS journalist Edu Burgos, Atletico Madrid are very close to finalising the transfer of Clement Lenglet from Barcelona on a permanent basis in the ongoing January transfer window.

Lenglet signed for the Rojiblancos from Barça on a season-long loan deal in the summer with no purchase option included in the deal.

After a rather slow start to life in the Spanish capital, the French defender has grown into an integral member of Diego Simeone’s setup, firmly establishing himself as a regular starter in the backline.

As such, Atletico are eager to finalise his acquisition on a permanent basis and are working on doing so right now rather than waiting until the summer transfer window, when the player will enter the final year of his contract at Barça.

As per previous reports, Los Colchoneros are willing to offer €8-10 million in order to sign Lenglet from Barcelona – figure that the Catalans will likely be happy to accept given the defender does not feature in their future plans and is on very high wages.

Either way, it appears that Lenglet to Atletico Madrid on a permanent deal could be close to completion this month, which will provide Barcelona with a much-needed revenue boost.