Barça have already told Samuel Umtiti he won't be needed next season

Barça have already told Samuel Umtiti he won't be needed next season

Umtiti: Me encantaría acabar en el Barça pero...
 Soy joven, ¿eh? Tengo tiempo y tengo que jugar, jugar y jugar y ganar títulos, manifiesta el francés en una entrevista a Futbolmanía / | Futbolmania

The injured centre back is up for sale and all signs point to him moving to the Serie A in Italy

One area of the team that Barça must improve this summer is the defence. The sporting department has already made its first decision: Samuel Umtiti won't be part of the first-team picture next season. The French centre back hasn't performed at the level required and the club have told him to look for a new club. Due to the current market, both sides have agreed a loan deal would be the best option.

The most likely destination for Umtiti appears to be Italy. Napoli, Barça's upcoming opponents in the Champions League, are looking to improve their defensive options this summer. Perhaps a less dynamic league would help protect Umtiti showcase his ability better than he has at Barça ever since his knee injury.

NEW DEAL FOR LENGLET?

The main person to benefit from Umtiti's fall from grace has been his fellow countryman Clement Lenglet. The former Sevilla man has brought needed stability to the back line alongside Gerard Pique. The club are considering whether to offer Lenglet a new contract to reward his fine form and tie him down for even longer.

This means that Ronald Araujo will be promoted to the first-team squad next season. He's stepped up when needed this year and the belief is he's ready to be a rotational option on a regular basis. Under Setien, Araujo has featured more than most expected and he'll play a key role in Barça B's promotion push against Badajoz today.

With Araujo's promotion and Umtiti's exit, there's space for one extra centre back. The man Barça want is Eric Garcia. The belief around the club is that Garcia is the ideal long-term replacement for Pique.

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