Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti is thought to be on the verge of leaving the club, but is finding talks more difficult than he had hoped.
Umtiti, 29, spent last season on loan at Lecce and impressed in Serie A after several campaigns riddled with injury at Camp Nou. He appears set to leave Barcelona after seven years, with his former club Olympique Lyon his most likely destination.
However MD say that he is keen to rescind his contract with Barcelona, but they are yet to find a figure that suits all parties. There is a clause that would allow him to leave with an undisclosed payout in 2024, but it appears that the Blaugrana are unwilling to pay out what Umtiti desires in order to get him off the books.
Umtiti renewed his contract last season, extending his contract by an extra three years, and cutting his salary by 10% at the same time in order to help Barcelona register Ferran Torres as a gesture of goodwill. The extension allowed Barcelona to pay out the remainder of his contract, with that cut, over four-and-a-half years rather than one-and-a-half.
Clearly the Frenchman now feels that Barcelona should return that gesture. Frequently footballers are asked to show loyalty and sacrifice for clubs, but the reciprocal nature of that relationship is rarely present. Given Barcelona’s finances though, it appears unlikely they will leave room for sentimentality.
