Barcelona and Samuel Umtiti appear to have long-since agreed that it was time for him to try his luck elsewhere. Finding the right destination for the World Cup winner has not proved a simple task this summer though.
It had looked as if he would be reunited with his first senior manager Bruno Genesio at Rennes, yet a deal collapsed when it had appeared all but done. Thus, Barcelona and Umtiti will not be presumptuous about negotiations.
However there is optimism that Umtiti will leave the club next week for Serie A side Lecce. According to Fabrizio Romano, Umtiti will travel to Lecce early this coming week as long as the details are worked out between the clubs. Barcelona are set to pay all of his salary, but could receive some bonuses during the season.
Umtiti played just once last season and the lack of interest in him, even with Barcelona paying his wages, is symptomatic Umtiti’s sad fall from the top of the footballing world due to injuries. His career path since the 2018 World Cup victory illustrates why players are often happy to cash in on large contracts even if the playing situation can be less than ideal.