Barcelona star has transformed his fortunes at club with rigorous fitness plan

It has appeared evident for some time that Samuel Umtiti has struggled for both form and fitness at Barcelona in recent times but there are now signs he has transformed his fortunes at the club.

The central defender has started in the recent league wins over Granada and Elche – his first starts of the campaign, and with each game yielding a clean sheet – and a report in El Mundo Deportivo outlines how his upturn in fortunes goes far beyond his return to the line-up.

Umtiti was heavily linked with an exit from Barcelona this summer due to his high wage and lack of first-team opportunities, but the fresh report outlines he has used this as motivation to turn the tide.

The France international is now said to be training twice a day – once with his teammates in the morning and again later in the evening with his own personal trainer as he looks to reach peak fitness in double quick time.

It is said that this rigorous fitness plan and new diet has seen him lose between three and four kilos, as he has intentionally lost muscle mass in order to ease the pressure on his joints and increase his mobility.

The Cameroon-born defender has suffered from multiple injuries over the past few seasons, curtailing his development at the club but the early signs are that he has turned a corner and could be an important player for the side in the second half of the campaign.

Tags Samuel Umtiti
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