Recruited at Barça, Clément Lenglet "deserves what happens to him"

He switches to another dimension. Born in Beauvais, central defender Clement Lenglet (23) will be wearing the prestigious FC Barcelona jersey next season. The club of Lionel Messi and Samuel Umtiti enlisted him Thursday for five years. He leaves Sevilla FC, quarter-finalist of the last Champions League. The transfer fee is estimated at 35.9 million euros, a sign of the immense distance traveled since his first balloons hit with the small Fresneaux-Montchevreuil team. Clement Lenglet had then joined Chantilly, where he evolved from 12 to 15 years. His coach at the time, Sylvain Dorard, stayed in regular contact with him. "When Clement told me," says Dorard, "I felt he was very proud. When we know where he comes from, it's crazy! "

Clement Lenglet is preparing to take a new step after an impressive progression. In 2010, the defender left Chantilly for the Nancy training center. Three years later, he signed his first pro contract in Lorraine. Quickly indisputable holder in Ligue 2, he was rewarded for his efforts in January 2017, when he left for Sevilla FC.

"He was different from others"

"I'm not surprised, continues Dorard. As a young man, Clément was already mature and rigorous in his approach. He wanted to become a pro. He put all the odds on his side by listening to his coaches and respecting the institutions in which he spent. "Clement is a hard worker," decrypts Matthieu Quesmel, one of his childhood friends. The two men also played together at Fresneaux-Montchevreuil and Chantilly.

"He was already a great player," says Quesmel, "and he was different from the others. This sport is all his life. Clement thinks, eats and sleeps football. It badumes that success does not fall from the sky. He sets goals himself, and he achieves them. When I talk about it, I have chills. He deserves what happens to him … "The enthusiasm is the same with Nathan Lenglet, one of Clément's three little brothers. This young offensive midfielder defended the colors of the U 17 National Chambly last season.

"Our whole family is on a cloud," jokes Nathan Lenglet. It's so huge that it becomes unreal, but it's also logical. He is so attentive to his food hygiene that I have never seen him in a fast food (he smiles) . In fact, my brother sacrificed everything for football, and it's not over. He does not see Barcelona as a culmination, but as the opportunity to achieve something even greater … "