Barcelona have terminated Samuel Umtiti’s contract three years earlier than its expiry date after a protracted interval of unrest.
The 2018 World Cup winner, 29, spent final season on mortgage at Lecce, who completed sixteenth in Serie A.
With Barcelona seeking to scale back their wage invoice to make room for incomings, the transfer to sever ties with a fringe participant seems financially motivated.
It has been a irritating few years for the centre-back, who has been dogged by accidents and inconsistency, solely making 50 appearances for La Blaugrana since 2018.
The Spanish giants spent plenty of final summer season making an attempt to maneuver on the centre-back, however he even failed a medical with Rennes earlier than going to Lecce.
Barcelona have severed ties with Samuel Umtiti three years earlier than his contract’s expiry date
The centre-back spent final season on mortgage at Lecce in Serie A, the place he made 25 appearances
In his prime, Umtiti was a fierce opponent to be reckoned with.
After signing from Lyon in 2016, his first two seasons at Barca alongside Gerard Pique had been formidable, and he began in France’s 4-2 win over Croatia within the 2018 World Cup remaining.
Throughout his time at Lecce, his mother or father membership paid everything of his wages.
A largely injury-free stint on the Stadio Through del mare, the place he made 25 appearances, has helped, however not sufficient to propel him again to a beginning berth at Barcelona with Eric Garcia, Ronald Araujo, Jules Kounde, Andreas Christensen, and certain Inigo Martinez preventing for minutes subsequent season.
Barcelona are additionally seeking to transfer on Clement Lenglet, who spent this yr with Tottenham.
Barca supervisor Xavi has many defensive choices and Umtiti has fallen down the pecking order
In a prolonged assertion, Los Cules stated: ‘FC Barcelona and defender Samuel Umtiti have reached an settlement to launch the participant from the contract binding him to the membership till the top of the 2025/26 season.
‘FC Barcelona needs to specific its gratitude to Umtiti and desires him each fortune and success sooner or later.
‘Umtiti has loved an injury-free season in Italy, the place he appears to have rediscovered his greatest degree in each regard. After a stop-start remaining interval at Barça, annoyed by a collection of health points, he has performed 25 video games for Lecce.
‘He got here to Barcelona in 2016 from Olympique Lyon, the place he had spent his complete profession till then. In his most interesting years, he and Gerard Piqué shaped a superb pairing in the course of the blaugrana defence, and had been each automated starters.
‘After changing into a world champion with France in 2018, accidents began to interrupt his great progress. He was now not such a daily function on the sphere, and he finally left for Italy to get extra recreation time.
‘With two league titles and three cups, Samuel Umtiti is now severing ties utterly with Barça, however can be taking away reminiscences as fond as those who the membership may have of him.’
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