Tottenham Hotspur want to sign Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet as quickly as possible, according to a report from Spanish outlet Sport (via Sport Witness).
The lowdown: Career so far
Signed for £31.7million from La Liga rivals Sevilla in 2018 (Sky Sports), Lenglet has largely been a regular feature during his time at the Camp Nou.
The 27-year-old senior France international has made 159 outings for the Catalan giants, lifting the top-flight title, Spanish Cup and Spanish Super Cup in his four years at the club.
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However, as cash-strapped Barca attempt to resolve their financial issues, Jose Mourinho's AS Roma have been linked with a move for Lenglet as he fell down the pecking order last season, playing just over 800 minutes of league action.
Tottenham have also been linked, and the Catalan press believe they are now pressing ahead into pole position.
The latest: Spurs in pole
As per Barca-based outlet Sport, translated by SW, Tottenham are believed to be the 'firm candidate' to sign the 15-cap ace on loan this summer.
It's claimed that Spurs 'hope to be able to formalise an agreement in the coming days' as Antonio Conte opens dialogue with Lenglet over making the switch to north London.
Valued at £10.8million and under contract until 2026 (Transfermarkt), the man hailed as 'world class' by France national team manager Didier Deschamps will need to take a pay cut to make a deal happen.
The verdict: Quality
Despite an upturn in performances from Eric Dier and Ben Davies in particular under Conte, the central defensive department remains in need of reinforcements to solidify the position alongside Cristian Romero.
Last term, Lenglet - who shares a close stylistic likeness to star names such as Niklas Sule, Dayot Upamecano and Alessandro Bastoni (Fbref) - made just 27 appearances across all competitions for Barcelona, so he may even be happy to come in and fight for a place alongside Davies and Dier.
Already boasting the experience of 42 UEFA Champions League outings, the Frenchman would be the ideal candidate to improve Tottenham's play out from the back, ranking 99th percentile for progressive passes and carries amongst centre-backs in Europe's top five leagues.