Villarreal no longer considering move to sign Barcelona defender

Following the departure of Jorge Cuenca to Fulham, Villarreal are now in the market for a new central defender. Willy Kambwala has already been signed from Manchester United, but for head coach Marcelino Garcia Toral, that is not enough – especially with Aissa Mandi having also recently departed.

Diario AS say that Villarreal want to sign an experienced centre-back. In recent days, the option of Clement Lenglet had emerged, with Barcelona aiming to move on the Frenchman before the end of the summer. He was desired for a loan deal, but no longer.

The report states that Villarreal simply cannot afford to match the demands of Barcelona. Lenglet is a very high earner at Can Barca – despite being a fringe player – and the percentage of wages covered is too much for the Yellow Submarine. As such, other targets will now be considered.