Serie A side Lecce are close to completing a loan deal for Samuel Umtiti. The Frenchman was deemed surplus to requirement at the Nou Camp.
Barcelona are racing against time to conclude their summer business and balance their books. The Catalan giants have struggled all summer to bring in players and trim the squad to make allowance for the new arrivals. While they have convinced players like Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Ousmane Dembele to choose the Nou Camp, it is getting the players who are surplus to requirements out of the club that has been a problem.
Los Blaugrana has been looking to offload several of their players to help them balance their books, but it has been an arduous task convincing them their best option is at another club.
Offers have come in for a few Barcelona players, with Frenkie de Jong the cream of the crop, but nothing has come out of the interest in the Dutch player. A little reprieve may have come for Barcelona as the Catalan giants are close to sealing a loan deal for Samuel Umtiti.
An exit for Samuel Umtiti
Barcelona are on the verge of a breakthrough as they seek a new club for Samuel Umtiti. The Frenchman rejected a few offers in the past, but seems to have agreed his time at Barcelona is over. A loan deal for the out-of-favour defender is in the final stages as he is now set to join Serie A side Lecce.
Despite several failures to get the French defender to accept to leave the Nou Camp, Umtiti is close to departing the club this summer. Lecce approached the defender last week, and talks have moved quickly, with reports suggesting that a deal is close to completion.
A little reprieve for Barcelona
Initial reports suggested that Barcelona would pay the entirety of Umtiti’s salary. The Frenchman takes home a yearly gross salary of €20 million. The report also claims he would receive some bonus payments from Lecce if he featured in a fixed number of matches.
However, the latest update from journalist Giacomo Iacobellis claims that Lecce has agreed to pay a small share of the Frenchman’s salary with bonuses based on his appearances.
It is a minor relief for Barcelona as they manage to get some of Umtiti’s wages off their books. The Catalans have tried to trim their wage bill and consider this a minor victory.
According to Giacomo Iacobellis, the final details of the deal is all that remains.
While Umtiti is about to leave the club, Barcelona would have preferred that his wages are off their books, but they will take solace in the Frenchman’s temporary exit, who is surplus to requirements at the club.
