No room for Sam: Umtiti must find new home after Garcia signing
The French defender is surplus to requirements at Barça, who want him off the wage bill
With the arrival of Eric Garcia on a free transfer from Manchester City, Barcelona have five centre-backs to cover the next season: Ronald Araujo, Clement Lenglet, Gerard Pique and Oscar Mingueza are the other four. They're more than covered for the campaign.
That means that Samuel Umtiti will have to look for a new club or be prepared to spend months in the stands. In fact, SPORT have learned that Barça have already told the Frenchman that he is not in their plans and that he should seek a move elsewhere this summer.
Umtiti, who's hardly featured under Ronald Koeman this last season, has spent too long suffering from knee problems after two exceptional seasons at Camp Nou when he arrived.
Whether it's on loan or a permanent transfer (preferably), the former Lyon man must go in the current transfer window. The problem? The same as always: his salary. It's been a problem when it comes to moving him for a long time.
After his first two seasons at the club, Umtiti signed a new deal just before the World Cup in 2018. However, after becoming a world champion with France that summer, injuries have constantly held him back. Barça, meanwhile, have been left to pick up the €12 million gross salary they handed him.
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