Lenglet on Milan talks, suffering under Conte at Tottenham and two Inter stars

Clement Lenglet opened up about his ‘suffering’ under Antonio Conte at Tottenham, his contacts with Milan in January and two Inter stars who’ll be key at Euro 2024.

The 28-year-old French defender is currently on loan with Unai Emery’s Aston Villa, where he’s been a regular feature after breaking into the squad in the Christmas period. With the summer fast approaching, there’s still no confirmations regarding his future at the club.

In the January transfer window, Lenglet was heavily linked with a move to Milan as the club looked to find some cover in defence, but a transfer never materialised, leaving him with Aston Villa. Should he return to Barcelona in the summer, Serie A could be an option for the defender.

Lenglet opens up

Speaking to Gianluca Di Marzio, Lenglet first discussed his time working with Conte at Tottenham.

“I suffered a lot in the training sessions he made us do during the preparation. But after that period, it felt like we were flying on the field, the benefits were insane. I felt good, I felt at the top throughout the season.

“Being trained by him was fantastic, I improved a lot. His way of coaching could be summed up with the word ‘passion’. He tries to push every player every day to reach a higher level. He’s a strong coach, sometimes a bit tough, but that’s what I needed to improve.”

He remembered one of Conte’s former staff members Gian Piero Vetrone, who sadly passed away in October 2022.

“We must remember Giampiero Ventrone, he was our fitness coach and a fantastic person.”

Lenglet was asked about his position in January and the talks with Milan.

“I wasn’t playing regularly, so I wanted to find a solution. My priority was to play, and at that time it wasn’t possible, so there were contacts with other clubs. Then unfortunately Pau Torres got injured, and my time came. When I started playing, plans changed. But I like Serie A.”

Finally, Lenglet highlighted two Inter stars who could be key for France at Euro 2024 this summer.

“Thuram has had an exceptional season. I watched some of his games in recent months, and he’s a different kind of player now. He’s strong in duels, scores goals and assists, he’s one of the best strikers in Italy.

“I’m very happy for him, he’s someone who works hard but always with a smile. Pavard is also playing very well, it’s never easy to leave Bayern Munich but he made the right choice at the right time.”