Tottenham have announced the loan signing of the Barcelona defender Clément Lenglet after selling the winger Steven Bergwijn to Ajax for €31.25m (£26.5m).
Lenglet has joined for the 2022-23 campaign subject to a work permit, which should be a formality for a player with 15 France caps. The centre-back played for Nancy and Sevilla before joining Barcelona in 2018 and has made 159 appearance for the Catalan club.
He started seven La Liga games and four Champions League matches last season and is Tottenham’s fifth summer signing, after Richarlison, Yves Bissouma, Fraser Forster and Ivan Perisic.
Trimming of the squad continued with Bergwijn’s departure. Spurs had been holding out for a guaranteed €30m for a player they bought from PSV in January 2020 for an identical fee and struck a deal without add-ons. A fee of €30m plus up to €2.5m in add-ons was also discussed.
Bergwijn has been a priority target for Ajax since January and their manager, Alfred Schreuder, who has succeeded Erik ten Hag, said: “It is indicative of Steven’s ambition that he chose to make the step to Ajax. He is a player with many qualities. He has enormous drive and is also very goal-oriented. Of course, I am happy that we were able to sign him – he adds new quality to our team.”
Bergwijn made 83 Tottenham appearances, scoring eight goals, but the winger made only four Premier League starts last season and just one under Antonio Conte.
Julián Álvarez has vowed to emulate his fellow Argentinians Sergio Agüero, Carlos Tevez and Pablo Zabaleta by putting “my stamp” on Manchester City when he finally joins Pep Guardiola’s squad.
The forward was bought in January and loaned back to River Plate but will be a part of the champions’ squad that flies to the US for a pre-season tour on 16 July.
“City have an amazing recent tradition of Argentinian players – I want to put my stamp on the club like Sergio Agüero, Carlos Tevez and Pablo Zabaleta,” the 22-year-old said, referring to integral members of previous City title-winning teams.
Txiki Begiristain, the sporting director, said: “He scores all kinds and of goals and has real variety in his game.”
Álvarez, who can operate wide and centrally, will have his hopes of establishing himself heightened if, as expected, Raheem Sterling completes his transfer to Chelsea.
West Ham are interested in signing the Hoffenheim left-back David Raum as David Moyes looks for a player to compete with Aaron Cresswell. Raum, who has broken into the Germany squad, is highly rated and could cost up to £30m. Borussia Dortmund have also been linked with the 24-year-old.
