Barcelona want to move on Samuel Umtiti this summer.
That’s according to Diario Sport, who report that La Blaugrana believe a return to Ligue 1 is the best bet for the French defender.
Umtiti has been on the market for years due to the deterioration of his physical condition. He’s hardly featured for Barcelona this season and is the sixth-choice centre-back for Xavi Hernandez.
Umtiti had several loan offers last season, specifically from Serie A and Turkish side Besiktas. But he didn’t want to leave Spain.
Now, it’s understood he accepts he needs to move on and his ambition is to return to Lyon, the club he joined Barcelona from. But they’re not said to be entirely interested in a reunion.
The clubs that have knocked on his door include Montpellier, Nice and Rennes. The most likely scenario would be Umtiti leaving for his homeland in a loan deal without a purchase option as Barcelona’s primary goal is to reduce their wage bill.
