Samuel Umtiti was one of the key components of the FC Barcelona squad during the 2016-17 and the 2017-18 seasons. However, having seen his footballing fortunes wane after the 2018 World Cup, the Frenchman is recovering his form, and is hopeful about his future.
After a number of seasons plagued with injuries and poor form, Umtiti has been able to show glimpses of his actual talent while on loan at Lecce. At FC Barcelona, his performances declined rapidly after the 2018 World Cup, and the club has been actively looking to offload the player for the last few seasons.
Now that the loan at Lecce is coming to an end, the club will have to make a decision on the player’s future soon. His performances this season for the Serie A club have been impressive, and the Catalan club and the player himself are hopeful that there would be more demand for him in this summer window.
The player talked to media recently in which he indicated the possible places where he can play next season. SPORT reports that the player mentioned his close association with fellow Frenchman, the striker Alexandre Lacazette, and disclosed that he has been talking with the striker about how they both would like to play together again before ending their careers.
Thus, these comments can indicate a preference from Umtiti to move to Lyon in the coming transfer window. The player wanted a move to the French club last summer too, but Lyon was not entirely convinced about Umtiti’s physical conditions and ability to play in Ligue 1.
Now that he has dispelled any doubts about his physical condition, the move to his former club could again be on. The player was also full of gratitude to Lecce for believing in him, when no club was willing to take a risk with the player.
Meanwhile, FC Barcelona would be actively looking for any suitors for the defender, and would accept even a small transfer fee for him.