Samuel Umtiti joined Serie A side Lecce from Barcelona in the summer transfer window.
The centre-back’s plan was to get game time after a horrendous spell on the sidelines with injuries at Camp Nou. The last time he played a match for Barça was on 12 December 2021.
Umtiti and Marco Baroni, coach of the Italian team, had agreed to a period of adaptation due to his long spell on the sidelines. He has been included in the last six matchday squads but has not made his debut in Serie A.
As to the reasons why Umtiti has not played for Baroni. The head coach may consider that the centre-back is not yet physically fit enough to play minutes.
Another possibility, according to AS, but one that is less likely has to do with the economic agreement between Lecce and Barça.
As reported by Catalan outlet Sport, Lecce will pay 10% of the player’s salary and will also pay a bonus for the games that he plays. In short, we will have to wait until 9 October, when Baroni’s team will take on Jose Mourinho’s Roma side, to see if he gets his first minutes of the season.
GSFN
