MADRID (AP) — Barcelona loaned out French defender Clément Lenglet for the third straight season on Monday, this time to Spanish league rival Atletico Madrid.
Atletico said it signed the 29-year-old Lenglet “until the end of this season.”
That could include the revamped 32-team 2025 Club World Cup that runs from mid-June into July in the United States. Atletico qualified for the FIFA tournament and Barcelona did not.
Lenglet has been with Barcelona since 2018 though spent the last two seasons on loan in England with Tottenham and then Aston Villa.
He played 14 Premier League games for Villa last season, helping the team to finish fourth and qualify for the Champions League.
Atletico and Barcelona are also in the Champions League draw on Thursday in Monaco. The new format with 36 teams playing in a single-league standings starts next month.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.