Barcelona and Samuel Umtiti have agreed to mutually terminate the French defender’s contract. In previous negotiations, a clause was inserted into the contract that meant Barça could terminate the 29-year-old’s deal without having to pay him for the last two years of his deal, according to journalist Toni Juanmartí.
Umtiti’s Barça career was ravaged by injuries, but before his move to Spain, his form in Ligue 1 for Lyon was the reason why the Frenchman was regarded as one of the most dominant centre-backs around. Eventually, after three campaigns with Lyon, the Catalan club came knocking and ultimately paid €25m for his services.
At that time, he was a 22-year-old with a rare athletic blend of power and pace. In his first two seasons in La Liga, he showcased his defensive qualities, particularly in the 2017-18 season where he helped the side record 11 clean sheets in 25 league games. Barcelona won the league that campaign.
Unfortunately, Umtiti went on to have a series of injuries that forced him out of the picture at Camp Nou. According to Transfermarkt, he was forced to miss 61 games across three seasons due to a variation of injuries.
Last season the central defender plied his trade in Serie A with Lecce, who avoided relegation to the Second Division by five points.
Jake Staniland | GSFN
