Everton are planning a summer move for FC Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet according to reports from Spain.

What is the story?

A Spanish outlet reports that the centre-back is one of the players Barcelona want to sell ahead of next season in order to raise money to help finance his reconstruction.

He is valued at £12.6m and Everton are said to be one of three teams interested in him, along with Sevilla and fellow Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur.

The back four have been one of the weakest points in Frank Lampard’s side this campaign, and if they avoid relegation they will need to improve it considerably to ensure they don’t fight for their place. survival next year.

He’s an upgrade on Keane

It wouldn’t be difficult to improve a defense that has failed to impress the Everton faithful, and signing Lenglet could make all the difference. He’s an experienced player and he lifted La Liga during his time in Catalonia.

He could be the perfect player during the Toffees’ transition, and given that the Spanish giants want him gone, they wouldn’t have to break the bank either.

Should Everton sign Lenglet?

One of the players he would be competing against at Goodison Park, or possibly sitting next to it, is Michael Keane. The former England international has received plenty of criticism this season, and with Everton’s leaky defense having conceded 56 goals, it seems justified.

If you look at their stats, you can see Lenglet would be a clear upgrade. The Frenchman tackled a higher percentage of dribblers at 67% compared to Keane’s 60%.

He has been described as a “best player” by French national team coach Didier Deschamps and a “freakby Yahoo France and it would be something of a blow for Everton if they moved to Merseyside.

As well as defending one-on-one, the Barcelona native is also more reliable with the ball. He has an impressive 90% overall pass percentage, which is considerably higher than Keane’s 77%.

If the Toffees survive, then the 26-year-old should be high on their priority list. They will struggle to attract big names for fear of being in the same relegation battle again, but he is a player who would be readily available and would consider a move to the Premier League.

The pressure will be on Lampard to deliver results next season and he needs a quality defender like Lenglet to help him do just that.

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