Clément Lenglet is heading to Lisbon. The 31-year-old French defender will sign a three-year contract with Benfica, departing Atlético Madrid barely a year after inking what was supposed to be a long-term deal in the Spanish capital.
The transfer is reportedly being completed on a free basis, which means Atlético are letting a player walk whose contract ran until 2028.
From Barcelona to Madrid to Lisbon in 18 months
Lenglet terminated his contract with Barcelona in June 2025 to join Atlético Madrid on a permanent three-year deal, a move that came after a loan spell at the Wanda Metropolitano that had gone well enough to warrant a longer commitment.
That commitment lasted roughly one season. Lenglet made over 40 appearances for Atlético since arriving in 2024. Yet here we are, with the club apparently content to tear up a contract that still had two years left on it and let him leave for nothing.
