Barcelona are reportedly trying to offload Samuel Umtiti permanently next summer, with President Joan Laporta making it clear in the last assembly that the player doesn’t have a future at Nou Camp.
In recent seasons, the French defender, 28, has struggled to stay fit and not play as many games as he would have liked to for Barcelona and the national team. Having lost his place in the Blaugrana side last season, he decided to join Serie A side, Lecce, on loan in the summer.
Samuel Umtiti enjoyed his first minutes for Lecce at the weekend in the 2-1 defeat to AS Roma, and according to Sport, Barcelona have breathed a huge sigh of relief watching the defender in action as they want the player to get up to speed and revalue himself in the next transfer window.
The Blaugrana hope Umtiti enjoys a good season with Lecce and manages to attract interest from clubs, especially from Ligue 1, in 2023 so that they can allow him to leave for free, thus, saving his hefty salary for the contract signed until 2026, the report adds.
To that end, here are three clubs that should make a move for Samuel Umtiti next year.
#AC Monza
AC Monza showed a lot of ambition in the past summer transfer window following their promotion to Serie A, signing some renowned names to boost their squad. In came the likes of Stefano Sensi, Marlon, Matteo Pessina and Pablo Mari among some on loan, while Andrea Ranocchia arrived on a free transfer from Inter Milan.
The prime objective of coach Raffaele Palladino will be to secure AC Monza’s safety in Serie A as quickly as possible. Should Palladino manage to achieve that, the club could back him again in the market by launching an ambitious swoop for Samuel Umtiti.
Umtiti has bags of experience at the highest level and his presence could help AC Monza achieve stability at the top tier of Italian football.
#Wolves
Wolves have endured a terrible campaign so far and have sacked their manager Bruno Lage. The club has gone back to the drawing board in search of Lage’s successor.
Whoever gets the vacant managerial job at Wolves must target defensive reinforcements, even though the team has conceded just 12 goals in nine games. While Max Kilman and Nathan Collins are the first-choice central defensive duo for the Wanderers, they lack a proper back-up option.
Samuel Umtiti could be a decent signing for Wolves, provided the board is willing to take a punt on him next year.
#Troyes
FC Troyes ended last season 15th in the Ligue 1 table and will be aiming for a higher finish this time around. They haven’t started well, though, picking up just 11 points from their first 10 games.
Bruno Irles has a big month coming up to save his job and keep Troyes far away from the bottom three. Should the French side enjoy another good season in Ligue 1, they could certainly do with a strong and intimidating presence in defence in the form of Samuel Umtiti next term.
The French World Cup winner can be a viable option for Troyes to improve their defence, while adding depth to the squad. And if they come up with an offer, there are chances of the Barcelona loanee being interested as he could favour a return to Ligue 1.
