Aston Villa are approaching the final few days of the summer transfer window in the mood to potentially sign another one or two fresh faces.
Following the acquisitions of Moussa Diaby, Pau Torres, Youri Tielemans and Nicolo Zaniolo, Unai Emery has already secured some exciting players but in order to balance their European and domestic commitments, the squad will need padded out.
With this in mind, the Spaniard is showing interest in a former Tottenham Hotspur player who could be available for a transfer before Friday.
Who will Aston Villa sign next?
According to reports in Spain (via The Birmingham Mail), Villa have been linked with a move for Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet.
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He is expected to leave the La Liga side before the end of the transfer window, either on a permanent basis or a loan move, and it looks as though the Midlands side are ready to swoop for his services.
Fellow Spanish sides Valencia and Sevilla are reportedly keen on the player. He has two years left on his contract and according to Football transfers, he is valued at €22.8m (£20m) and this could represent good business if the club could secure him for a fee in this region.
How good is Clement Lenglet?
The Frenchman spent a season on loan at Spurs during 2022/23 in what was a turbulent campaign for the club.
He did rank fourth across the squad for accurate passes per game (48.4) while also ranking in the top ten for tackles, interceptions and clearances per game, suggesting that his spell in London was decent enough, although far from the high standards expected when he arrived.
Upon arriving at the club, he was lauded by compatriot Hugo Lloris, who said: "He's a modern defender. Comfortable to be able to play from the back. He has a great left foot and can be very strong in one v one and he's strong in the air.
"Even if it's never easy when you arrive in the Premier League and he will have to adapt to the intensity of the games but he is a high level player, with experience.”
Indeed, when compared to positional peers, the 28-year-old ranked in the top 6% for progressive carries per 90 (1.53) and the top 9% for assists (0.07), further backing up Lloris’ praise.
This could allow him to forge a solid partnership alongside Torres, especially with Tyrone Mings injured.
The former Villarreal defender is also a forward-thinking defender, ranking in the top 1% for successful take-ons per 90 (0.8), the top 2% for progressive carries per 90 (2.17) and the top 7% for progressive passes per 90 (5.48) when compared to positional peers.
This suggests both are always looking at playing the ball out from defence in order to start attacks, giving Villa and Emery the chance to constantly dictate the play during matches.
WhoScored also states that both Torres and Lenglet like to dribble often and this could be a huge advantage for Emery, giving him something different at the heart of defence as opposed to the robust nature of Mings.
With just a few days left, the former Arsenal manager will need to act swiftly to get a deal over the line.