Aston Villa centre-back poised to stay amid transfer update

AC Milan have cooled their pursuit of Aston Villa loan man Clement Lenglet, according to a report by Italian news outlet Gazzetta dello Sport.

The Serie A side were keen on signing the defender on a permanent basis from his parent club Barcelona this winter but have now decided to end their interest for now.

Lenglet, 28, linked up with Aston Villa on loan last summer and his deal with the Premier League side would have ended this month if Barca decided to cash in on him. However, it appears he will now be seeing out the remainder of his stay with Unai Emery's side.

He is due to return to Spain in late May and his long-term future is currently up in the air. It remains to be seen whether AC Milan will rekindle their interest in him down the line.

Lenglet provides Aston Villa with more competition and depth in defence and although he isn't always guaranteed a regular start, he still provides strong back-up. He spent the last campaign with fellow top flight outfit Tottenham Hotspur and made 35 appearances for the London club, 26 of which came in the league.

The France international, who has 15 caps under his belt, started out at Nancy before Sevilla signed him in 2017.

Barcelona then snapped him up a year later and he has been on the books of the La Liga giants ever since then, playing 160 matches in all competitions and finding the net on seven occasions in the past.