Sevilla reject opportunity to snap up Barcelona outcast - Reports

Sevilla have reportedly vetoed the idea of re-signing Clement Lenglet from Barcelona, reports El Nacional. The Frenchman has become somewhat of a liability at the club in recent times.

He doesn't appear to be in Xavi's plans and has featured only when the Spaniard was running short of options in the centre-back position.

Lenglet's performances have also declined since last season and his salary is too high to settle for a substitute role at the club.

He was supposedly on their transfer list last summer but didn't receive any offers, with no club showing interest in a winter transfer in January either.

The 26-year-old himself hasn't shown any urgency either as he's reportedly happy at the club and would only consider leaving if a significant offer comes to pass.

As a result, Barcelona president Joan Laporta wants to offload the player and has been offering him to a few clubs, among which was Sevilla.

The Andalusia is where Lenglet first plied his trade in Spain, signing for Sevilla in January 2017 on a meager €5 million transfer from Nancy.

Over the next year-and-a-half, he blossomed into a world-class prospect, his top-notch displays garnering attention from various clubs including Barcelona.

In July 2018, the Catalans activated his release clause of €35 million and priced him away to the Camp Nou, where the defender hit the ground running.

---

Barcelona star unwanted by Lopetegui

Lenglet was reportedly willing to return to Sevilla, where he was happy and had excellent memories from his time there too, while also ready to lower his salary.

But the manager Julen Lopetegui vetoed the move, causing a break down of negotiations. The Spanish coach thought it's a risky bet to re-sign him and hence advised club chief Monchi against signing him too.

He felt they should invest in a player at the top of his form and wasn't convinced with Lenglet having seen his decline.

This continues Barcelona's pursuit of selling him off, although unlike Ousmane Dembele, he hasn't caused them problems, with Xavi praising his attitude and professionalism.