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Tottenham battling Arsenal for Barcelona transfer made possible by Chelsea deal

Tottenham and Arsenal have both been mentioned as landing spots for Barcelona centre-back Clement Lenglet once a Chelsea deal is completed, per a report.

Blues centre-back Andreas Christensen is edging ever closer to joining Barcelona as a free agent. ESPN claimed the Dane’s move to the Camp Nou was ‘advanced’ last week. That was followed up by the Daily Mail who reported Christensen’s free agent move to Spain is virtually a lock.

If the move is signed and sealed, Christensen will join the likes of Gerard Pique, Ronald Araujo and Eric Garcia in competing for a starting berth in Xavi’s defence. That will also push current fourth choice Clement Lenglet further down the pecking order.

The Frenchman has been made to settle for an increasingly peripheral role in recent times. Indeed, the 26-year-old has accrued just 445 minutes of LaLiga action this term.

As such, The Hard Tackle (citing a Spanish report), reckon his time at the Camp Nou is coming to an end.

The report describes the situation as Lenglet being ‘destined to leave Barcelona’ in the summer. His current contract doesn’t expire until 2026, however, meaning Barca are in a strong position to generate as big of a fee as possible.

Lenglet best suited to Tottenham?

Lenglet could seemingly do with a change of scenery to kickstart his career, and interest is reportedly widespread.

Despite mentioning Sevilla and Atletico Madrid as interested parties, the report focuses on the English chasers, of which Arsenal and Tottenham are specifically named. Newcastle were credited as a potential landing spot by Sport Witness earlier this week. However, the Magpies were not named in this particular report.

On paper a move to Antonio Conte’s side would appear to make the most sense. The Italian operates a back three and his early spell at Spurs has been characterised by defensive errors from his backline.

Cristian Romero has shone, while Eric Dier has looked capable at times. But beyond that pair, the likes of Davinson Sanchez and Ben Davies continue to underwhelm.

Lenglet would add class and experience to Conte’s backline, while being deployed in a three may also aid his adaptation to the faster-paced Premier League.

In contrast, Arsenal’s reported interest is more surprising. Gabriel Magalhaes and Ben White have already formed a stern partnership.

The Gunners can also call upon the dependable Takehiro Tomiyasu to deputise at centre-back. The Japan international mainly played centrally with Bologna, though has been deployed on the right side with Arsenal thus far.

Lenglet could therefore be seen as an upgrade on their reserve options such as Rob Holding. Though a move to Spurs would still make more sense on paper and Lenglet may find it easier to generate regular gametime in a back three.

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Kane drops hint on Tottenham future

Meanwhile, Harry Kane has revealed he is happy with his progress under Antonio Conte at Tottenham Hotspur – although there are still two factors that could convince him away.

Last summer was a long and nervous one for Tottenham when it came to the future of Harry Kane. The England captain was a major target for Manchester City, who had two bids turned down. Eventually, he had to affirm his commitment to his current club.

Kane endured a slow start to the campaign but has looked back to his best in recent weeks. As such, Man City could revive their interest and be joined by rivals Manchester United in the pursuit of one of the finest forwards in the Premier League.

The Express carry quotes from Kane before indicating that his future depends on two factors. First, the club must secure Champions League football, and then, Conte must remain in charge.

But from what the 28-year-old has been saying, things are looking more positive in north London.

Kane said: “The manager is a fantastic coach. I’ve said that now on many occasions. I really enjoy working with him, so it’s down to us players to take that responsibility.

“A lot of us want to be playing in the Champions League. We haven’t played in it now for a couple of years but it’s where we think the club should be.” Kane’s full quotes can be found here.

READ MORE: Euro Paper Talk: Tottenham tempt top-scoring winger with transfer hope

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