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What's the story?
Barcelona are having a ball of a time this season, what with them sitting pretty atop La Liga's table - well ahead of eternal rivals Real Madrid - and with Ernesto Valverde building a pretty darn strong team, brick-by-solid-brick, the Camp Nou faithful have had plenty to cheer about already and the good news just seems to be rolling on, and on, and on.
Especially if the good folk over at Spanish daily Sport are to be believed... for they report that Barcelona are moving in on Sevilla's hugely impressive French centre-back Clement Lenglet.
Lenglet, just 22, is contracted to the Andalusians till 2021 but has an incredibly tempting release clause of $34 million (or €30 million), a paltry amount in today's hyper-inflated transfer market.
In case you didn't know
Lenglet is one of the promising youngsters in European football at the moment and is very highly regarded by Sevilla, where new coach Eduardo Berizzo has handed him more minutes than any one else in the squad.
A Monchi signing (just before he left to Roma) Lenglet has proved to be another one of those bargain gems that the former Sevilla sporting director routinely unearthed from all across the planet.
The heart of the matter
Barca have in fact been monitoring the centre-back, along with Real Sociedad's Inigo Martinez also on the radar but it appears this season's performances have tipped the scales in Lenglet's favour.
Barca and Sevilla generally share a rather cordial relationship and with the Andalusians desperate to get back Aleix Vidal - who is clearly excess to requirements at the Catalan club - this might just be a deal that has all the makings of a good deal for both parties.
Video
Lenglet is in the running to be called up by Deschamps for the senior squad (alongside the likes of Laurent Koscielny, Samuel Umtiti, Raphael Varane - indicative of his quality) and here's why
He's pretty darn solid on the ball.
Oh, and he scores important goals when no one expects him to, a great quality to have as a center-back.
Author's Take
Lenglet is a superb defender who has an immense future ahead of him and Barcelona would be much the richer for him. With Gerard Pique on the wrong side of 30, it's time Barca take it upon themselves to groom a replacement for the charismatic Catalan
Lenglet seems a perfect fit, and he'd make a brilliant centre-back partnership with the man who grows ever more impressive day by day.
