FC Barcelona continues working on restructuring its squad for the 2025/26 season. In this regard, the Catalan club is clear that it must offload several players who are not in Hansi Flick's plans. One of them has already firmly expressed his desire not to return to Camp Nou; he is a player who was loaned this year to Atlético de Madrid.
The player has found an ideal context at the Metropolitano to regain his form. His performance has convinced Diego Pablo Simeone, who is now pressuring the Atlético board to secure his continuity. The problem is that Barça is not willing to facilitate his departure without financial compensation.
According to sources close to the club, the player doesn't want to wear Barça's jersey again. He considers that his cycle at the blaugrana entity is over and believes he will not have real opportunities under the new coaching staff. Barcelona sees it the same way: they are willing to accept his departure, but they will not let him go at any price.
Laporta sets the timeline
In this sense, Laporta has priced his sale at 10 million euros, a figure that Atlético de Madrid is not willing to assume. The red-and-white team does want to retain the player, but they intend to do so at a lower cost. Miguel Ángel Gil Marín's intention is to negotiate a significant reduction or even propose a new loan with a purchase option.
FC Barcelona doesn't consider more loans; they will only accept a definitive sale, although they are probably open to receiving creative formulas as long as they include a mandatory purchase clause. In any case, Laporta and Deco have been clear: they are not going to give away any player, even if they are not in the sporting plans. The Frenchman comes from two loans in England first, with Tottenham and Aston Villa, and subsequently this year at Atlético, that's three in a row, enough.
The Frenchman awaits a response
Meanwhile, the French footballer continues to await a quick resolution. He doesn't want to start the preseason with Barça and has asked his entourage to speed up negotiations to secure his continuity in Madrid. His priority is to continue under Simeone's orders, with whom he has managed to regain confidence and consistency.
The protagonist of this story is Clement Lenglet, who has made it clear to his agents that he doesn't wish to return to the Catalan club. At 29 years old, the French center-back values the stability and support he has received from the Atlético coaching staff. At Atlético, he has found a competitive ecosystem without the media pressure he suffered in Barcelona.
Due to his high salary, Barça seeks to cash in on his sale; any offer below 10 million will be rejected initially. However, if it approaches 6 or 7 million with variables, the agreement could be closed soon. Although not everyone at Atlético is so sure they want Lenglet to stay, everything will also depend on what Barça says.